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By: Kaylee Kriese  Did you know that tracking someone through their phone or tech accessories has become even easier? Although most people have heard of GPS trackers, few are aware of the most recent technological advances that has made crimes such as stalking and theft all too easy. In April of 2021, Apple released their new product, AirTags, with the intention that their users could track their keys or wallet in the event that they misplace them. If you’re someone who loses things easily, this water-resistant product might just be a lifesaver, but in other cases, these small, circular disks can be used for more sinister purposes.
Most notably, AirTags can be discreetly stored, as those who took to Tiktok, Youtube, and Twitter shared from their own experiences. These victims of tracking, mostly women, report finding AirTags taped to the underside of their car or behind their license plates. They found them only after being notified through their iPhone’s Bluetooth technology that another AirTag was detected moving with them. When investigating this further, many of these women could locate a map of everywhere they had been through their device, which could be seen by other devices tracking them. Although Apple set up this notification feature to report when other AirTags are detected and even prompt a signal that generates beeping until the unknown device is located, many people are unnerved that they were able to be tracked at all, especially given what some report to be belated notifications about the tracking. Additionally, when some have attempted to use the “Find my” network that AirTags can be accessed with, they found that the Find my tool was unavailable. A well-known product, Tile, is yet another device that has generated discussion about its security features, though its creators anticipate the release of a new security feature like Apple’s sometime this year.[1] If you look up Apple’s description for AirTags, the website describes it as, “an accessory that provides a private and secure way to easily locate the items that matter most.”[2] Given the stories that have emerged in less than one year since the product’s release, the general consensus seems to be extreme uncertainty about the privacy and security this product offers. In our line of work, we know that abusers will implement whatever tools necessary to stalk and torment their victims. Given the newness of this technology, we anticipate more stories of products like AirTags being misused for ill intentions. If you own an AirTag or are considering purchasing one, we encourage you to research its security measures beforehand. If you or a loved one are a victim of stalking, call our confidential crisis line at 317-731-6140. If you are in a life-threatening situation, call 9-1-1 immediately. [1]https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/30/technology/apple-airtags-tracking-stalking.html [2] https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2021/04/apple-introduces-airtag/ By: Savannah Tipton  Beacon of Hope Crisis Center is celebrating another fantastic year with Sandra Ziebold, our Chief Executive Officer / Executive Director (CEO/ED). Over these last six years, she has made great strides in ensuring that victims receive timely and adequate services as well as the success of the agency. She has significantly grown this agency from increasing the number of advocates to the number of victims we have served under her leadership, to the numerous partnerships we have built. Under her direct leadership, advocates been able to go above and beyond in providing services to victims. She has continued to show up in the face of adversity to ensure our services are available to victims in the community throughout this pandemic.
Sandy has continued to prioritize the health and wellness of her team and the victims we serve. She has made steps to reduce the barriers many victims face to ensure victims can receive advocacy services and can access the free services available to them. She has expanded our programs allowing them to be more accessible to victims, especially during this ongoing pandemic. She is an inspiring leader that has developed a team responsible for helping both human and pet victims impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault. We want to express our deepest gratitude for Sandy’s time and efforts to help others. We look forward to having many more wonderful years with you! Happy Work Anniversary! |
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This blog is about our domestic and sexual violence crisis center, Beacon of Hope. We hope you find it full of helpful information, motivation, creativity, serious facts and positivity. We hope that it will help you know what is happening in our center, in our community and with our events. We hope you follow our blog in support of our organization and our mission. Archives
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