Apple, Google Join Forces to Prevent Bluetooth Location-tracking Abuse

Jace Dela Cruz, Tech Times 03 May 2023, 07:05 am

Tech giants Apple and Google have collaborated to introduce an industry specification aimed at preventing the abuse of Bluetooth location-tracking devices. While these devices are useful in helping users find their personal items, they can also be used for unwanted tracking of individuals.

Apple and Google lead initiative for an industry specification to address unwanted tracking

(Photo : Apple/ Google)

Unauthorized Tracking Detection

The draft specification proposes that Bluetooth location-tracking devices become compatible with unauthorized tracking detection and alerts on iOS and Android platforms.

Leading device manufacturers, including Samsung, Tile, Chipolo, eufy Security, and Pebblebee, have shown support for the draft specification, which guides manufacturers who wish to incorporate these features into their products.

Ron Huang, Vice President of Sensing and Connectivity at Apple, explains that the AirTag was developed to give users peace of mind by enabling them to locate their essential items.

Huang highlights that the AirTag and the Find My network includes proactive features that prevent unwanted tracking, making it a first-of-its-kind solution across the industry.

The new industry specification is poised to be a significant advancement in the fight against unwanted tracking across iOS and Android platforms, building upon the protections provided by the AirTag and resulting from the collaboration between Apple and Google.

Dave Burke, Google's Vice President of Engineering for Android, acknowledges the benefits of Bluetooth trackers but recognizes that they bring the potential for unwanted tracking, which urges industrywide initiative to address.

Burke emphasizes that protecting Android users from the misuse of Bluetooth tracking devices is a top priority, and the company is committed to working closely with industry partners to develop strong safeguards.

Safety and Advocacy Groups Join the Initiative

The draft specification has taken into account feedback from device manufacturers and input from several safety and advocacy groups. Erica Olsen, the Senior Director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence's Safety Net Project, is optimistic about the progress made and believes that the resulting standards are a significant step forward.

Olsen expects that the new standards will help reduce the opportunities for abuse of Bluetooth tracking technology and ease the burden on survivors in detecting unwanted trackers.

The Center for Democracy & Technology's President and CEO, Alexandra Reeve Givens, views the release of the draft specification as a welcome step towards confronting the harmful misuse of Bluetooth location trackers.

"CDT continues to focus on ways to make these devices more detectable and reduce the likelihood that they will be used to track people. A key element to reducing misuse is a universal, OS-level solution that is able to detect trackers made by different companies on the variety of smartphones that people use every day," Givens said.

"We commend Apple and Google for their partnership and dedication to developing a uniform solution to improve detectability."

The proposed specification has been submitted to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), a prominent standards development organization, as an Internet-Draft. The public is invited to review and provide feedback for the next three months.

Apple and Google have committed to working together to address any feedback received during the review period and plan to release a final version of the specification for unwanted tracking alerts by the end of 2023.

The implementation of the specification will be integrated into future versions of iOS and Android to enhance the protection against unauthorized tracking.