Enhanced Security: The New Anti-Stalking Features of iOS 17.5
/The upcoming release of iOS 17.5 introduces significant enhancements to security and privacy, particularly in combating unwanted tracking. These updates are important advancements for personal safety, including for victims and survivors of tech-facilitated abuse.
Broadening Device Detection
Currently, Apple’s Find My network can send alerts to users with Apple devices when an unauthorized tracking accessory (one not connected to your device), like an AirTag or AirPod, is detected. This means that if someone put an AirTag in someone else’s belongings in order to track them without their knowledge, a notification of the AirTag would come through that person’s iPhone to alert them of the tracker. However, AirTags are not the only type of location-tracking device that can be misused for this purpose.
With this upcoming update, iOS 17.5, the capability for proactive notifications will also include non-Apple and non-Find My-certified tracking devices, offering a more comprehensive safety net for iPhone users. This enhancement comes as a part of a collaborative effort between Apple and Google to create a universal system that addresses unwanted tracking across both iOS and Android platforms. This aims to identify and disable unauthorized tracking devices, with the goal of enhancing user privacy across a broader range of potential threats.
This collaboration and update should make it easier to identify and disable unapproved tracking devices, helping to interrupt stalking and unwanted tracking and providing victims with helpful documentation. When an unwanted tracker is detected, the user will receive a notification and can then follow instructions to disable the device and stop it from sharing location information.
These updates are set to roll out with the public release of iOS 17.5, expected in mid-to-late May. For more information about location trackers, including addressing possible stalking, visit Apple’s Help Center page on what to do if you receive a tracking notification, EFF’s Self-Defense How-to Guide to Detect Bluetooth Trackers, and our Survivor’s Guide to Location Tracking.
