Skechers introduced a line of kids’ sneakers, including hidden compartments that parents can glide on Apple Airtags.
Inside the heel of the shoe, a small insert can be lifted to reveal the compartment. Parents can then track the location of their children. At least you can track your child’s shoes. These shoes don’t come with air tags and look like they’re third-party products, developed by Skechers, not real collaborations with Apple.
The shoes were announced to Little Press in mid-July, but Appleinsider reported on the product on Wednesday.
Apple only promotes air tags as products that track items such as keys, wallets, and luggage, not humans. However, parents use this technique to keep their eyes on their children. Already there are products like the Knockoff Crocs Jibbitz that can fit Airtag compatible bracelets, insoles, pins, or air tags.
Perhaps intentionally, the airtag is not designed to be very good at tracking fast moving things, like kids on a school bus, for example. Unlike iPhones with location sharing enabled, AirTag does not have built-in GPS. Instead, use Bluetooth beacon technology to quietly inform nearby Apple devices of their presence and give AirTag owners a quote for their location.
However, this technology can still be used for fraudulent purposes. Bad actors sneak up hiding air tags in people’s bags and cars, causing a class action lawsuit. Apple has several stalking features, including notifying someone via their iPhone or Apple Watch when an unfamiliar Airtag is traveling together.
Skechers manufactures this product only in the size of a child, so it is unlikely that these shoes can be used to monitor adults against their will, but the continuous normalization of this type of surveillance can make more sense than parenting. Skechers or other shoe brands could potentially create similar products designed for adults with situations like dementia. Although these uses may be intentional, these types of products can also be used to track adults without consent.
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