Google’s new network works like Apple’s Find My setup on iPhones.
  • poopkins@lemmy.worldEnglish
    156·
    3 months ago

    There is a much more sinister issue that Google is trying to resolve with this: it’s currently possible to stalk somebody by placing a tracker fob in their bag or on their car, so long as you know the victim’s device doesn’t support it.

    Suppose some creeper with an iPhone is stalking a victim with an Android phone. So long as they use an Apple AirTag, the victim will never know they have a tracker trailing them wherever they go. And in reverse, the issue is the same.

    Apple isn’t concerned about this, because they hold a monopoly in the market they care most about and can leverage this as an iPhone-only feature. After all, so long as you have an iPhone, you’ll be warned about an AirTag you don’t own following you. Apple wants to leverage this as an exclusive safety feature and have no intention of allowing other devices to do the same.

    Apologies for providing this background as I know that this goes against the circle jerk of accusing Google of infringing our privacy. Feel free to disregard this context of it being beneficial to our collective privacy.

    • pastabatman@lemmy.worldEnglish
      201·
      3 months ago

      This is not correct. Android devices can detect apple’s air tags and alert users when an unauthorized tag is nearby. Google delayed the launch of their network to wait for Apple to implement the same feature for Android compatible tags, which is finally coming in the next iOS update.

      • poopkins@lemmy.worldEnglish
        24·
        3 months ago

        Android has no way of knowing if a tag is “unauthorized” because Apple does not provision access to their tag network. You could, in principle, ignore tags that you know about, but you’d have to do it by identifying it by some arbitrary hexadecimal GATT ID.

        As always, Apple wants to keep it that way, because it gives a poor experience on Android.

        Theoretically (and I might be wrong about this), without attempting to reverse engineer how Apple assigns these codes, there would be no to differentiate AirTags, AirPods, iPhones, etc.

          • lud@lemm.eeEnglish
            1·
            3 months ago

            Yeah probably one of the only things Apple and Google could decide on together.

          • poopkins@lemmy.worldEnglish
            24·
            3 months ago

            Yes, users have begun to be alerted of trackers—this is the recent change by Google as it relates to this post. An ongoing issue is, to my knowledge, that there’s no way to identify what kind of device it is. Goggle’s instructions literally suggest taking a screenshot of the serial number for later reference.

            • signalsayge@lemm.eeEnglish
              2·
              3 months ago

              I get alerts on my Android for an Airtag I keep in my backpack all the time. My phone gives me the option to make the Airtag play a sound.

              • poopkins@lemmy.worldEnglish
                2·
                3 months ago

                Allow me to clarify:

                • Limited support for AirTags has been added to Android, that is the context of the posted article and the experience you are describing.
                • Apple neither supports account access on Android devices or provisions access to their tag network on behalf of linked accounts, so unless you have an Apple device, you cannot stipulate that a tag that belongs to you.

                Consequently, the solution offered by Google appears to have been effectively built without Apple’s support. Goggle’s added support for AirTags despite Apple’s cooperation—and support for other tracking devices—is a net positive for privacy.

    • WoahWoah@lemmy.worldEnglish
      9·
      3 months ago

      Am I misunderstanding, is this not that? My understanding is the this will allow you to find devices other than your phone–tablets, earbuds, etc–by triangulating the location using not just your own phone but all Android phones local enough to detect the device being sought.

      • Derin@lemmy.beru.coEnglish
        2·
        3 months ago

        Yep, but as Google’s network (which would be the most comprehensive) is not yet ready, I’m using the next best thing: both Samsung and Apple’s - combined.

        Note: I don’t live in a country where Tiled is sold or used too often, so they’re a no-go.

        • Kanzar@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          3 months ago

          Tile sucks in any country compared to the Apple and Samsung networks so you’re not missing out on much.

          • eluvatar@programming.devEnglish
            2·
            3 months ago

            IMO Tile is fine because usually you forget where something is because you left it there, and so your phone will tell you where you left it, you really only need a network if the thing moves after you left it somewhere.