Is someone tracking you with an Apple AirTag?

AirTags have helped to solve a life-long problem.

Add the Apple devices to your keys, and you will always be able to find them. Throw the mini trackers in a suitcase when you fly, and you may actually help the airline find your bag if it gets lost.

But what happens if someone decides to use an AirTag because they want to track and find you?

Travelers we spoke to at Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) say they like the extra layer of security of knowing where their items are.

“Especially golf clubs and suitcases; it’s nice to know where they are when they’re not with you,” said Beth, as RSW traveler.

Apple says it has sold 55 million of the trackers since they launched in 2021. It’s no surprise that people use them in some unusual places.

“I mean, I heard of this one mom put an air tag in her kid’s hair.” Trinity, RSW traveler

In some cases unusual has turned into unethical and potentially criminal.

WINK Investigations obtained a copy of a restraining order filed last year that says a Lee County School District employee used and AirTag to track a co-worker by attaching it to her car.

Cape Coral Police were notified and tracked the phone number associated with the device to a man named Michael Spurr.

Spurr was charged in August of 2024 with three misdemeanor counts for installing tracking devices and applications.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is due in Lee County Court in October.

Spurr no longer works for the Lee County School District.

Others have joined a class action lawsuit against Apple.

Lauren Hughes told CBS News that her ex-boyfriend used and Apple AirTag to track her every move.

“I got the alert that AirTag was moving with me,” Hughes told CBS News.

I was outside of my car and I just literally dug around the outside edges of my car and everywhere I could and eventually found it in the wheel well. Lauren Hughes

There is a way to know if an AirTag is hidden somewhere tracking you. Your Apple devices, such as an iPhone, should show you a warning like this:

That means an AirTag is near you, and if it’s not yours you will see the alert several times.

The AirTag may also make a beeping noise. It’s important not to ignore the alerts.

There are apps for non-Apple devices to find AirTags but they are less automatic and you will have to keep checking them.

“I’d much rather spend another minute looking for my keys than live in a world where every movement is tracked,” said surveillance technology expert Albert Fox Cahn in a CBS interview.

While some would like them off the market, that’s not likely to happen, but there are other options.

“Well, you can make the alarm louder. You can make the alerts go off more quickly. You can try to make improvements around the edges, but as long as you’re selling a cheap, ubiquitous tracking device, people are going to misuse it,” said Cahn.

Apple has filed to dismiss the federal lawsuit. They did not respond to our request for a comment but have posted safety information online. Read their statement here.

There are other tracking devices on the market like Tile. Both Tile and Apple use Bluetooth technology for the devices.