Arizona AG warns of unwanted tracking with Apple’s new AirTags

PHOENIX — Apple’s new AirTags help keep track of personal items like purses or keys but it’s also being used by individuals to track people without their knowledge, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office said in a warning on Thursday.

There have been cases where the small, circular-shaped device has been attached to cars and used to follow people to their homes from malls and other public places, according to a press release.

“As technology allows us to do these things, we’re now part of a surveillance state or surveillance technology and people have to be constantly aware,”  Joe Sciarrotta, the office’s civil litigation division chief, said in a video.

Apple said its products will notify nearby Apple devices that an AirTag is following them after some time, and the tag will eventually make noises if separated from its original owner.

Those who use an Android device can also be notified of potential tracking through certain tracker detection apps, the office said.

Sciarrotta recommends those who are alerted that they are being tracked avoid going home and instead contact police immediately to make a report.

Authorities can then subpoena Apple and track the person who placed the device, the office said.

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