New York Mayor Eric Adams announced that city authorities plan to distribute 500 free Apple AirTags to vehicle owners in order to reduce the number of car thefts. The devices, donated by a local NGO, will be distributed by the city police.
Adams explained that the increase in car thefts in the city is contributing to the increase in crime and that Apple AirTags are an “excellent tracking device” that are easy to monitor in real time. The Apple company condemned the malicious use of AirTags in February, stating that these devices were designed to help people locate personal items, not to track people or personal property.
The initiative is presented as a way to help police locate stolen vehicles and prevent them from becoming tools for crime. The Apple AirTag is a small tracking device that uses ultra-wideband (UWB) radio wave technology to communicate with other Apple devices to help users find lost items. Apple’s Find My app allows users to accurately track the location of their personal items in real time.
The New York initiative appears to be a legitimate and positive use of this technology, as the AirTags will be used to help vehicle owners protect their possessions and not to track people or other personal items.