A Tennessee family visiting Walt Disney World quickly left an Florida amusement park for fear of stalking after Apple received a signal for its AirTag surveillance device, which tracked their teenage daughter for up to four hours.
Jennifer Gaston and her 17-year-old daughter Madison went on a rampage after the teenager received a notice saying she was being followed by the owner of the tracking device as they returned to their car on the Magic Kingdom monorail earlier this week.
The report shows that Madison was tracked for four hours – from 19:09 to 23:33 – with the location where she visited the extensive theme park – all the way to the parking lot.
“We were terrified, confused, hurt and scared,” Gaston told Fox 35 Orlando. “She was literally watching him follow us from the tram to our car,” she added, referring to her daughter.
“It shows the first destination where she was found with it, then actually draws a line and makes connections to the points where she was,” she added.
The teenager and her mother searched their car but could not find the device. They locked the car door and drove off before calling police, while Madison continued to monitor the location of his iPhone device.
“While freshening it up, it showed that the AirTag was still in our parking spot, so somehow when we frantically shook our clothes and threw everything out of our bags, it fell,” Gaston said.
The $ 30 wireless devices are designed to help track items that people often lose, such as keys or wallets, but are increasingly being used by suspected stalkers to track people, most often women.
The device is designed to disable “unwarranted tracking” by alerting a nearby iPhone when an AirTag is separated from its user. For example, if someone has to put an AirTag on a car but not get in the car, then the driver of the vehicle should be warned that he has an AirTag nearby or is driving with it.
Jennifer Gaston said she found an AirTag tracking her and her 17-year-old daughter Madison (right) as she returned to their car on the Walt Disney World monorail in Orlando, Florida. They had both been notified by Madison’s phone
The non-family-owned AirTag said it first opened with the couple at 7:09 p.m., before receiving notice four hours later, around 11:33 p.m. Pictured: Gaston’s footsteps at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World
The family made a terrifying discovery as they went on a day trip to America’s busiest theme park
How the Tennessee teenager found out she was being tracked by AirTag
Apple AirTags are designed to emit sound once separated from their owner.
Madison received a ping on her iPhone as she left the park to inform her that she was carrying an unknown AirTa from 9:30 pm to 11:33 pm
She checked her clothes and threw everything out of her bags, but found no device.
After she and her mother left the park, AirTag was still ringing that it was in the parking lot.
“I’ve seen videos of other people warning people about them and what they really are. That’s how I knew what they were and I didn’t ignore the news, “Madison added.
AirTag needs to start playing sound to inform people nearby about its location. However, it has been proven that sending the signal and sound can take hours or even days and can even be turned off. The devices are also very small and can be easily hidden.
The location of the AirTag is sent to iCloud, where it can be seen on a map, according to Apple’s website. Using the ‘Find My’ application, the system provides its owner with step-by-step instructions for finding the label and the missing product.
Madison and her mother agreed that people should report the slightest unusual digital activity they notice on their phones and learn more about the new tracking technology over time.
“Definitely do your research and find out what these are. “Make the right settings on your phone, so if you have an air tag that comes in handy to make sure your phone detects it,” Garson said.
The Orange County Sheriff in Florida said that because the family did not physically find the AirTag, the incident was not identified as a crime. However, investigators reported the incident and were notified of the incident.
Apple has released a convenient Android app called tracker detect to allow Android users to be alerted to the AirTag that runs with them.
Due to growing concerns about the misuse of the device, some privacy groups have called for the widgets to be removed from store shelves.
“Some people who have a bad will for others use it to chase people, to follow people, to mark vehicles, high-end vehicles that may want to come back and steal,” said David Benson, a consultant. security in the area. “Even if it’s not the size of an epidemic, enough is happening where it applies.”
If a person finds himself being tracked after finding an AirTag, then the best solution is to go to a public place and inform local authorities instead of going home or to a hotel, Benson added.
People call on Apple to discontinue its AirTag tracking devices as women increasingly report tracking devices to their homes
In January, a young mother from Texas said she found an AirTag stuck in her luggage bag while traveling from Texas to Maine.
“I think they would definitely hurt me. “I don’t think you’re doing this for no reason,” she told Inside Edition at the time. “It took almost 14 hours to let me know that this was happening,” she said.
Hundreds of other women posted videos on TikTok to share their stories of how they discovered mysterious AirTags attached to their items and tracking their location after the tracking device was released by Apple in April.
Each AirTag has a serial number written on it and connected via Bluetooth. If law enforcement issues a court order, Apple may reveal the identity of the iPhone for which AirTag is registered.
Law enforcement officers advise women to go to the police station as soon as they receive an unjustified notification from AirTag or find the device. If possible, they advise avoiding returning home, but most women seem to learn about tracking devices when they return home.
Most women found AirTags hidden in or on their cars, but sometimes they were even found in personal belongings such as bags and coats. Small tracking devices cost $ 30 and can easily be hidden in many inconspicuous places
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