New York AG issues warning after AirTag stalking reports, despite Apple’s changes

Apple last week announced a number of changes coming to AirTags and the Find My network to combat unwanted tracking and stalking. Despite these promised changes, New York Attorney General Letitia James has issued a new warning urging New Yorkers to be on the lookout for “malicious Apple AirTag users.”

In a consumer alert published today, the NY Attorney General explains that New Yorkers have reported finding “unknown AirTags attached to their cars, and in their purses, coat pockets, and other personal property.” The report doesn’t go into detail on how widespread these occurrences have been in New York, instead to simply urges citizens to be aware of their surroundings.

Attorney General Letitia James explained (via The Mac Observer):

Across the country, Apple AirTags are being misused to track people and their belongings to cause harm. Tracking people without their awareness or consent is a serious felony and will not be tolerated by my office. I urge all New Yorkers to pay close attention to their belongings and follow the tips provided by my office to stay safe. New Yorkers’ safety is my top priority and my office will continue to do everything in its power to protect New Yorkers.

Also in today’s announcement, the New York Attorney General’s office provides a handful of tips that New Yorkers can use to protect themselves. These tips include:

• Listen for unfamiliar beeping
• Watch for “Item Detected Near You” notifications on iPhone
• If you have an Android device, download Tracker Detect from the Google Play Store
• Know that not all unfamiliar AirTags are malicious.

Today’s warning from the New York Attorney General comes after Apple announced changes to AirTag and the Find My network last week. The company also confirmed that it has been “actively working with law enforcement” on AirTag-related requests. Apple said that “incidents of AirTag misuse are rare,” but that “each instance is one too many.”