This is a breaking news story and will be updated as details become available.
Several Veterinary College students have reported finding Apple AirTags placed on their cars without their knowledge or consent. The tracking devices had allegedly been tampered with to avoid detection by students, according to emails sent to the Veterinary School listserv.
Apple AirTags are small tracking devices, often kept in wallets or attached to keyrings, allowing the user to keep track of their possessions. They are designed to begin beeping if they have been away from their owner’s device for an extended period of time. As a safety feature, most iPhones will alert the user if an unknown AirTag has been detected tracing their location.
A sample safety alert from a nearby, unidentified AirTag. Photo Credit: Apple
According to a source familiar with the current matter, the targeted cars have been parked in Cornell’s B lot, near the Veterinary School. The devices were likely planted early in the morning or late in the evening. Assistant Dean Jai Sweet was alerted of the issue, and, in an email to the Veterinary School listserv, claimed she alerted other members of the administration.
Cornell campus, B Lot highlighted in red. Image credit: OpenStreetMap
The students were reportedly notified of lurking AirTags on their iPads, but did not receive notifications on their phones.
Despite Apple’s protestations that “incidents of AirTag misuse are rare,” there is no shortage of examples. From stalking exes to assisting with homicide, Apple’s tracking devices have a short, but sordid, history. These stories and concerns have culminated in a class-action lawsuit against the tech giant, principally for negligence. The lawsuit alleges that, “With a price point of just $29, [the AirTag] has become the weapon of choice of stalkers and abusers.”
Apple, meanwhile, has attempted to build countermeasures. After complaints began piling up, Apple released an update that alerts “iPhone users … if an AirTag is separated from its owner and is moving with them over time;” however, Android users will only be notified if they download a separate app.
Even this is not foolproof. Due to the technology of digital trackers, there is often no way for software to differentiate between a lost AirTag and one that is being used maliciously. Apple suggests, for those who fear they are being maliciously tracked, “call the police.”
The actions of other digital tracker manufacturers is also worth noting. Tile—the mainstay tracker before the AirTag—only implemented anti-stalking measures “after numerous stories about AirTags being used for stalking.”
This is a story of immense concern to the Cornell community. In the interest of alerting fellow community members, the Review is publishing this introductory article while we further investigate the claims of these students.
As always, we cannot confirm reports of criminality. We are gathering facts from campus and local authorities, and contacting the companies relevant to this story. Please check back for updates when available.
The Review has reached out to the students involved, as well as CUPD and Cornell. If considered a violation of the Policy 6.4 the matter would likely fall under the jurisdiction of the Title IX Office.
