CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Police have arrested a military soldier who is accused of using an Apple AirTag to track his estranged wife.
In the military, Apple AirTags are used to track household items during a move. In addition, a lot of people attach them to keys. If you lose them, you can use your phone to find them.
Unfortunately, these devices are now being used to track people. Megan Setter at the Clarksville Area Urban Ministries Safe House said it’s a major problem.
“We’re starting to see an increase in technology abuse tactics,” Setter said.
On Feb. 23, a woman received a notification on her phone that an AirTag was in her vicinity. After she found it in her child’s car seat, she called police. A Clarksville officer arrested Benjamin Kern for stalking. According to the warrant, the victim has a Military Protective Order against him.
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office
“When Apple came up with this, it could take up to 3 days for someone to get a notification, ‘Hey this might be following you,’ they worked to get that down to a couple hours,” Setter said. “But when we’re talking about fleeing for your life, minutes matter.”
Setter said she fears it could bring an abuser to their front door.
“We’re looking at investing in Bluetooth detection technology,” Setter said.
To get AirTag alerts, make sure follow these directions. If you don’t have an iPhone, download the Tracker Detect App. To disable one, take the battery out.
“It’s not just the AirTags too, there’s other technology, and we’re talking about being close to a military installation, you have to have service members that do have that technical training,” Setter said.
NewsChannel 5 emailed Apple about what happened so they’re aware. The station also reached out to a Fort Campbell spokesperson, who said they were going to look into it.
