Air tag safety

How to Protect Yourself Against AirTag and Tile Stalking
Apple's AirTag and Tile's line of Bluetooth trackers can help you locate missing items, but they can also be used to secretly follow you. Here's how to find and disable hidden trackers.

By Steven Winkelman
December 15, 2021

https://i.pcmag.com/imagery/articles/04WGSTULJZzCVLlKbCggns6-10.fit_lim.size_1600x900.v1639511672.jpg

(Photo: Steve Heap/Shutterstock)
Bluetooth trackers, including Apple's AirTag and all of the Tiles, are terrific little tools for helping you find your lost keys or remote. Unfortunately, they can also be easily slipped in a bag or affixed on a car for the purpose of stalking. Apple has released a number of AirTag updates to limit this possibility, as well as an app for Android users that lets them manually search for rogue AirTags, but that doesn't change the fact that these tiny $30 trackers can still be used in nefarious ways.

Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to protect yourself against Bluetooth tracker stalking. We've created a basic guide to help you assess your risk, know what to look for, and disable any foreign Bluetooth tracker you may find.

Consider Your Risk Profile and Create a Safety Plan
Technology-facilitated abuse is the use of any technological means to coerce, stalk, or harass another person. According to the CDC’s latest data, 16% of women and 3.7% of men have been victims of stalking in their lifetime. There are caveats here though: This report doesn't separate physical stalking versus cyberstalking, and it was released well before Apple's popular AirTag hit the market. Needless to say, technology has changed significantly since then, so there’s a good possibility these number don't accurately reflect the current state of cyberstalking.

Although anyone can be the target of a cyberstalker via an AirTag, Tile, or hundreds of different tracking apps, certain groups appear to be more vulnerable than others. There is little data related to stalking using Bluetooth trackers specifically, but we can extrapolate based on existing stalking and technology-facilitated abuse. While this list is by no means comprehensive, you may want to take extra precautions if you fall into any of the following groups:

Women between the ages of 18 and 24 and survivors of intimate partner violence are far more likely be stalked.

LGBTQ+ people are more vulnerable to stalking than the general population, according to SPARC, the Stalking Prevention and Awareness Resource Center. BIPOC teens and young adults, as well as active duty service members who identify as LGBT have a higher risk factor in this group.

Journalists, especially local TV news reporters, are more likely to be the victims of technology-facilitated abuse and stalking. Amanda Hess, critic-at-large for The New York Times, discusses her own experience with harassment and stalking by a man convicted of murder, and how the police failed to take the issue seriously. Hess writes, “None of this makes me exceptional. It makes me a woman with an Internet connection,” before going on to discuss the experiences of other female journalists and bloggers.

Activists, dissidents, and human rights advocates are also more likely to be the targets of technology-facilitated abuse, especially in countries with with poor human rights records. The United Nations Human Rights Office offers resources and an overview of more specific threats for people in this group.

If you fall into any of these groups, head to the Technology Safety website to create a safety plan and find advocates and other resources.

Regularly Inspect Your Belongings
AirTag and Tile trackers are small, making them easy to hide. Here are some common places to look to make sure you're not being tracked, and ways to make your life a little more tracker-proof.

Bags, Luggage, and Purses
Take a few minutes to empty your bag and pockets each day. Check to make sure all of the seams arein tact and you don’t feel any awkward lumps or hard surfaces. Trackers like the Tile Slim are thin enough to be easily placed under the lining at the bottom of a bag where interfacing or foam are used to help it maintain its shape, making the tracker less noticeable.

Stick to bags and purses that have zippers or magnetic enclosures. If you carry a backpack or other bag with lots of side pockets, consider using iron-on hem tape to permanently seal them, or use inexpensive snap-style buttons to make them harder to open. If you have a leather bag or simply don’t want to deal with securing the side compartments, a dry cleaner can easily add snaps and sew pockets shut or even remove them.

Open bag with a Bluetooth tracker under the seam.
Bluetooth trackers can easily be hidden in a bag under the lining (Photo: Steven Winkelman)
If you’re traveling, use an FAA-approved luggage lock and carefully check your bag and all of its contents when you leave and arrive. Keep your luggage locked when you leave your room, and check the pockets of any items you send out to be laundered or pressed.

Mail
If you use a PO box or rent a mailbox, open all of your mail before returning home. Be especially cautious of boxes or unknown envelopes as these can contain Bluetooth trackers. Remove and inspect all the packing material for boxes and, if possible, dispose of your trash before you leave the building.

Box with a Bluetooth tracker hidden under packing material.
If you use a PO box, mailbox service, or USPS General Delivery, always check your mail before returning home (Photo: Steven Winkelman)
If you live in a rural area, don't have carrier delivery, or request General Delivery service, never leave the post office until you’ve checked and inspected all of your mail. In these situations, a stalker who may have an idea of your location can send a package via General Delivery and it will arrive at your post office. If you wait to open your mail until you get home, the person might be able to figure out your home address.

Bikes and Cars
If you ride a bike, take a moment to check under the saddle to make sure a tracker hasn’t been affixed to it.

Unfortunately, there are lots of places to hide trackers on cars, but it’s worth checking behind license plates, the opening between the hood and windshield, in the wheel wells, and along the underside of the front and rear bumpers.