“Apple and Google’s Proposal for Unified Safety and Security Standards: Is Privacy still a Concern?”

Apple and Google have teamed up to propose internet standards for safety and security of smart tracking devices, called the Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers. This proposal aims at setting safety standards in the smart tag market. The document proposes the term UT (Unwanted Tracking), and it is expected that well-designed devices will make UT protection hard. The proposal starts by categorizing trackers into two classes, small and large, and demands that small devices provide a basic UT protection level. The security risks associated with such devices include when a tag should not disclose its identity, and when a tag needs to prove its track noticeability.

The proposal suggests that for all concealed devices, they should not broadcast their identity when near their registered owner and broadcast a notification when away from them. They should change their identifier every 15 minutes when with their owner, and hang onto it for 24 hours when apart. Any device found must provide instructions for disabling it so it cannot send a location to its owner.

Although some of the specifications in the proposal detail technicalities of serial number data encryption, the proposal is as much social and cultural as it is technical in this regard. For example, the data that must be emitted by the device on demand includes obfuscated owner information, which should include a partial phone number or a hollowed-out email address to preserve privacy. The current draft is up for feedback and comments for the next six months.

This proposal is a significant and necessary step as it aims to ensure safety and security in the smart tag market. The proposal provides guidelines for device manufacturers to follow, so end-users like consumers and businesses alike can be assured of their safety.

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