According to PCMag, Apple AirTags monitoring devices with disabled speakers have been seen on eBay and Etsy, raising privacy worries about the consequences of deleting one of the AirTag’s protections.
The updated AirTags, nicknamed “Silent AirTags,” have had their internal speaker removed, so they can no longer generate a sound to draw attention to their existence. The Silent AirTag appears just like a regular AirTag, with the exception of a tiny hole cut below the device’s battery to disconnect the speaker. Also Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra speculated release date, specifications, price, and more
One of the product listings, which sold the Silent AirTag for $77.50, was just taken down by the Etsy seller, who informed PCMag:
The intent of this modification was to cater to the several requests of buyers interested in my other AirTag product who were interested in fitting an AirTag to their bikes, pets and power tools. These requests led me to listing it as a product on Etsy, albeit without a great deal of traction. The vast majority of sales shown on my Etsy profile are from sales on my modified slim AirTag, designed to unobtrusively fit inside a purse or wallet.
The Silent AirTag, according to an eBay seller behind a similar post, was designed to guarantee that “it doesn’t keep beeping when away from you,” such as “whether left in a car, bike, or with a family member.” The Silent AirTag is also said to “decrease the likelihood of a thief being alerted of its secret position.” At the moment, an AirTags begins making a sound between eight and twenty-four hours after being separated from its owner to indicate its whereabouts.
While the Silent AirTag’s motivations appear to be pure, its sale has disturbed some privacy activists online. The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s director of cybersecurity, Eva Galperin, expressed worry about the “secondary market for modified AirTags with the speaker disabled for’stealth mode,'” noting:
Any item that works for the purpose of catching a thief in this manner is also a perfect tool for stalking. That is why Apple advertises them as tools for tracking lost items and not stolen ones.
In recent months, AirTags have been increasingly connected to criminal activities, including car thefts and stalker instances. While AirTags immediately notify iPhone and Android users with the Tracker Detect app when an unknown tracker is travelling with them through a notice, the speaker is the AirTag’s sole anti-stalking mitigation that works automatically and does not need the monitored individual to have a phone.
In addition to the Tracker Detect app for Android, Apple has provided a Personal Safety User Guide, introduced the option to check for nearby trackers, and modified the firmware of the AirTag to have shorter intervals between produced noises. Despite these precautions, the AirTag’s anti-stalking procedures have been regarded as inadequate.