A Tennessee family visiting Walt Disney World hastily left a Florida theme park after being told by Apple that its AirTag monitoring device was tracking their teenage daughter for up to four hours.
Earlier this week, Jennifer Gaston and her 17-year-old daughter Madison were notified that they were being followed by the owner of the tracking device and were returning to their car on the Magic Kingdom monorail.
The notice showed that Madison was tracked for four hours, from 7:09 p.m. to 11:33 p.m., from locations she visited in the sprawling theme park all the way to the parking lot.
“We were scared, we were confused, hurt and scared,” Gaston told Fox 35 Orlando. “She literally watched it follow us from the tram all the way back to our car,” she added, referring to her daughter.
“It shows the first destination detected on her, and then it basically draws a line and connects the places she’s been,” she added.
The teen and her mother searched their car but could not find the device. They locked the doors and drove away, then called the police, and Madison continued to monitor the device’s location on her iPhone.
“When she refreshed it, it showed the AirTag was still in our parking space, so when we frantically shook off our clothes and dumped everything out of the bag, it somehow fell out,” Gaston said.
The $30 wireless device is designed to help track frequently misplaced items, such as keys or wallets, but are increasingly being found to be used by suspected stalkers to track people, most commonly female.
The device is designed to prevent “unwarranted tracking” by alerting nearby iPhones when the AirTag is detached from the user. For example, if someone puts an AirTag on a car but doesn’t get in, the vehicle driver should be alerted to the nearby AirTag or move with them.
Jennifer Gaston said she found an AirTag tracking her and her 17-year-old daughter Madison (right) as she was returning to her car on the Walt Disney World Monorail in Orlando, Florida.The pair received a notification on Madison’s phone
AirTag, which is not part of the family, said it was first detected at 7:09 p.m. and then notified four hours later, at approximately 11:33 p.m. Image: Gaston’s steps at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom
The family made the creepy discovery while on a day trip to America’s busiest theme park
How Apple AirTags were designed as a solution for finding lost keys, wallets and pets
The brand released Apple AirTags in April that can be attached to items such as keys, backpacks and wallets.
The circular device is equipped with Bluetooth connectivity and can be paired with iPhone, iPad or third-party devices.
According to Apple’s website, the AirTag’s location is sent to iCloud, which can then be seen on a map. Using the Find My app, the system provides step-by-step instructions to locate tags and missing products.
The device is designed to sound an alert when a nearby iPhone is separated from the user. For example, if someone places an AirTag on a car but doesn’t get in, the vehicle driver is alerted to an AirTag nearby.
After a while, the AirTag will start playing a sound to let nearby people know its location.
“I’ve seen videos of other people warning people about them and what they are basically. So that’s how I know what they are and I didn’t ignore the notifications,” Madison added.
The AirTag should start playing a sound to let nearby people know its location. However, it turns out that alarms and sounds can take hours or even days to go off or even go off. The devices are also very small and can be easily hidden away.
According to Apple’s website, the AirTag’s location is sent to iCloud and can be seen on a map. Using the Find My app, the system provides its owner with step-by-step instructions to locate tags and missing products.
Maddison and her mother agreed that people should report the slightest unusual digital activity they find on their phones and learn more about new tracking technologies over time.
‘Be sure to do your research to find out what those are. Make the appropriate settings on your phone so that if you do have an Air Tag it ends up on you to make sure your phone can detect it,” Garson said.
The Orange County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office said the incident has not been criminalized because the family ultimately did not find the AirTag. However, investigators have filed an incident report and have been informed of the incident.
Apple released an Android-friendly app called tracker detect that allows Android users to receive alerts when AirTags move with them.
Some privacy groups have called for the gadgets to be pulled from store shelves amid growing concerns about device misuse.
“It’s being used by some people with malicious intent to potentially stalk people, stalk people, tag vehicles, premium luxury vehicles, and they might want to come back and steal,” said David Benson, a security consultant in the area. “Even if it doesn’t It reaches epidemic proportions, but enough has happened where it is concerned.”
Benson added that if a person finds themselves being followed after finding an AirTag, the best outcome is to go to a public place and notify local authorities, rather than going home or a hotel.
People call on Apple to stop using AirTag tracking devices as more women report finding they have been tracking them to their homes
In January, a young Texas mother said she found an AirTag in her duffel bag while traveling from Texas to Maine.
“I think they’re definitely going to hurt me. I don’t think you’re going to do that for no reason,” she told Inside Edition at the time. “It took me almost 14 hours to let me know this was happening,” she said.
Since Apple released the tracking device in April, hundreds of other women have posted videos on TikTok, sharing stories of how they discovered mysterious AirTags attached to their belongings and tracked their location.
Each AirTag has a physically written serial number and connects via Bluetooth. If law enforcement issues a court order, Apple can reveal the identity of the iPhone to which the AirTag is registered.
Law enforcement officials are advising women to go to a police station as soon as they receive an unfounded AirTag notification or find the device. They recommend avoiding going home if possible, but most women don’t seem to learn about tracking devices until they get home.
Most women find AirTags hidden in or on their cars, but sometimes they are even placed in personal items such as duffel bags and coats.Small tracking device costs $30 and is easy to hide in very inconspicuous places