Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

American Stock ReviewAmerican Stock Review

Tech News

Android is making it easier to find unknown trackers to prevent stalking

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Google is rolling out two new updates to its unknown tracker alerts feature that should make it easier for Android device owners to detect unfamiliar trackers, the company announced on Wednesday. Introduced in July 2023, the safety feature automatically sends notifications if an unwanted Bluetooth tracker is traveling with you.

The first update lets Android phone owners temporarily stop sending location updates to the Find My Device network if an unknown compatible tracker is detected. Google will pause these updates for up to 24 hours, so your location will no longer be visible to whoever could be monitoring your location via the tag.

Second, anybody who receives an unknown tracker alert will be able to locate the unwanted Find My Device-compatible tracker using the “Find Nearby” feature. Once you’ve found it, Google will also offer instructions for how to physically disable the tag.

Over the years, Bluetooth trackers have been increasingly misused. Domestic abusers and stalkers have, for example, used it to keep tabs on victims, with one class action lawsuit claiming AirTag stalking had contributed to “multiple murders.” In response, Apple and Google have made various efforts to combat stalking, including an announcement earlier this year indicating support for a new industry specification, Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers, that works on both iOS and Android.

You May Also Like

Editor's Pick

How do you find the next big stock before it gains the investing public’s attention? It’s tricky, but there are only two ways to...

Tech News

Sony’s “cosmic red” DualSense Wireless Controller is down to $54.99 ($20 off) for a limited time. | Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge...

Tech News

This meat-handed mess was generated using DaVinci AI with the prompt “a photorealistic person looking at their phone with a disgusted expression.” | Image:...

Tech News

Image: Apple Wolfs director Jon Watts told Collider on Friday that he didn’t think a sequel to the George Clooney and Brad Pitt movie,...