'It was a little scary': SoCal women believe they were tracked by an Apple AirTag
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- They're called Apple AirTags, and they're small, button-size GPS devices designed to help you find things like your keys or a remote control.
"AirTags have been around for a little under a year," says CNET's Ian Sherr.
But now, there are major concerns by some saying the devices can be dropped in your purse or placed in your coat pocket for someone to track you.
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"Once she clicked the notification she could pull up, like, there was a map. It followed our exact location from Target all the way back to her house so it was a little scary," says Adrianna Ballesteros.
Ballesteros is talking about her and her friend's experience in Orange County last weekend. She believes they may have been followed because of an AirTag.
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It's something that "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit model Brooks Nader says happened to her in New York City, claiming an AirTag was dropped in her coat pocket.
Apple now has a notification system that alerts users if an unknown AirTag might be with them, but often times that comes several hours after tracking may have started. The AirTag will also ring 8-24 hours after being separated from it's owner.
"This has been the most aggressive way at trying to solve this problem, but I mean the problem still does exist," says Sherr.
He says that Apple has actually done more than other companies with similar products to try to address this. They've added a Tracker Detect app for Android users with the same purpose.
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An Apple spokesperson says, "We take customer safety very seriously and are committed to AirTag's privacy and security. AirTag is designed with a set of proactive features to discourage unwanted tracking - a first in the industry - that both inform users if an unknown AirTag might be with them, and deter bad actors from using an AirTag for nefarious purposes. If users ever feel their safety is at risk, they are encouraged to contact local law enforcement who can work with Apple to provide any available information about the unknown AirTag."
