(StraightNews.org) – A Florida family used new technology to locate their stolen luggage, leading police to the thieves. Catherine Gavino and her family flew from Miami to North Carolina, and when they landed in Charlotte, they found one of their bags was missing. However, Catherine had placed an Apple AirTag on her luggage and was, therefore, able to track it down.
When she first checked the related application on her cell phone, Catherine found that her bag was traveling along Interstate 85, but the link died soon afterward. After waiting a couple of days, she tried again, and the application gave her an exact address for her luggage. She called the police, who found her case and another piece of stolen baggage at the house in Gastonia.
Apple has sold around 55 million AirTags since their launch in April 2021. The tech is usually used to track luggage, purses, and keys, but reports in 2022 claimed it was also used to keep track of people with dementia or similar illnesses. Some experts furthermore said stalkers could use it to terrorize victims.
A Wall Street Journal report stated that carers attached the $30 device to people suffering from diseases such as Alzheimer’s, calling it an imperfect method of keeping tabs on individuals who are vulnerable to wandering off or getting lost.
It works by sending a signal to nearby iPhones, iPads, or other Apple devices, but is imperfect and operates less efficiently if the carrier isn’t also carrying a phone.
Experts warned early on that stalkers could use the technology to follow or spy on their targets. In response, Apple updated its security measures so that a person’s phone notifies them if an AirTag is tracking them.
In December 2022, two California women nevertheless filed a lawsuit against Apple, claiming it made stalking and harassment easier. The technology has already been associated with crime. In 2022, for example, an Indianapolis man was allegedly murdered by an ex-girlfriend who used AirTags to track him down.
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