AirTags are small and work off a massive network of other users, but they were designed without a thought for privacy or physical security said Jake Moore, ESET’s global cybersecurity advisor. That conflict-between genius convenience and icky risk-is at the heart of Skechers’ new generation of kids’ sneakers, which feature a hidden storage space in the heel specifically designed to house an Apple AirTag.
The execution is clever and subtle. By removing the insole and a piece of fabric liner, parents expose a sunken plastic chamber inside the cushioned midsole a chamber approximately the same dimensions as an AirTag, hidden under a screw-down lid. Not only does the solution protect the tracker from inadvertent removal or manipulation, but it also protects inquisitive young kids from being tempted to pull out or swallow the device. Most importantly, the shoe does not bear any outward branding or indication that it is fitted with tracking technology, preserving the look of the sneaker and incorporating an element of secret safety for those families who are anxious about child abduction or wandering. According to one commentator,“they look like every other sneaker that Skechers sells, making them one of the more covert ways to keep tabs on where your kids are” Skechers’ innovation one-ups.
That’s merely the first half of the engineering story. The AirTag itself is not a GPS but a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon. Rather than their single-purpose GPS receivers that can yield real-time, global location information sometimes as often as every 10 seconds AirTags rely on proximity to Apple devices within the massive “Find My” network. Each time an AirTag is close to some iPhone, iPad, or Mac, it silently reports its location, uploading the information back to the owner’s iCloud account. The system functions remarkably well in extremely populated, city areas where Apple devices are common. But when a child wearing the shoe walks through a location where there are not many or no Apple devices like way out in the country, in the park, or on a school bus ride out to where the bus goes which is where data can lag how things are really going down, sometimes by several hours AirTags aren’t too great at tracking moving rapidly.
By contrast, current GPS tracking devices for children, such as AngelSense or Gabb Watch, use cellular and satellite connections to deliver real-time, continuous, real-time tracking, geofencing alerts, and even two-way voice. These gadgets have the capability to automatically alert parents when a child wanders out of a pre-defined safe area or presses an SOS button capabilities that BLE tracking devices such as AirTags simply do not possess GPS smartwatches give live location tracking by providing location updates in 10 to 30 seconds. The catch, though, is dimension, battery life, and price: GPS devices are bulky, need to be recharged often, and have monthly subscription costs, whereas AirTags are small, inexpensive, and have a year’s battery life.
Skechers’ move is part of an even larger trend: mainstream acceptance of tracking technology in kids’ accessories. Though the purpose is typically benign enabling parents to find wandering or lost children there are real privacy and ethics concerns. AirTags, due to their size and stealth, have already been used for stalking and secret tracking. Apple has retaliated with a series of anti-stalking capabilities such as alerts if an unfamiliar AirTag is discovered with a user, and a collaboration with Google to bring these measures to Android devices The iOS 17.5 anti-tracking feature, introduced in the new iOS, is a consequence of Apple’s collaboration with Google. But the system is not perfect: the alerts take hours to be received, and Android users have to search manually for trackers, with an opening of vulnerability in between. Though it now only takes 8-24 hours before the AirTag alerts individuals who are nearby, there is still a chance that individuals can be stalked for that period of time.
Apple stresses, AirTag was designed to help people locate their personal belongings, not to track people or another person’s property, and we condemn in the strongest possible terms any malicious use of our products. It cites end-to-end encryption and active alerting but acknowledges that lingering issues remain: Until newer devices are designed with better safety measures built into the design phase, future updates will need to be continually rolled out in order to keep all users safe.
For technologically inclined parents, the Skechers AirTag pocket offers a low-tech, low-frills introduction to child tracking particularly for toddlers who are too young for a smartwatch or phone. Remember, however, the technical and ethical limits. AirTags are great at assisting parents in locating misplaced shoes in a crowded mall, but they won’t replace actual-time, accurate location tracking during a crisis. The tipping point between peace of mind and potential surveillance is a narrow one, and the worth of the technology depends on responsible, informed use.
