The companies announced a joint proposal on Tuesday for a new technical specification for manufacturers to build into future products. It would allow location-tracking devices to implement “unauthorized tracking detection and alerts” and work on both iOS and Android platforms. The goal, according to the proposal, is to enable “unwanted tracking detection” on these devices that “can both detect and alert individuals that a location tracker separated from the owner’s device is traveling with them.
The proposal has been submitted for review to the Internet Engineering Task Force , a standards development organization, the companies said. In 2021, Apple launched the AirTag, a $29 Tile-like Bluetooth locator that attaches to and helps users find items such as keys, wallets, laptops or even a car by giving nearly anything a digital footprint, enabling it to be found on a map.