In recent years, tracking and location monitoring devices ("tracking tags"), such as those sold by Apple, Samsung, Tile, Google, and others, have gained significant popularity. These tracking tags allow their owners to monitor the location of attached items almost anywhere in the country and the world.
To enable the tracking capability, providers like Apple, Samsung, and Google have started deploying extensive offline finding networks to monitor devices that are disconnected from the internet. These networks use short-range communication technologies such as Ultra-Wideband (UWB) or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to send messages and advertisements to nearby receivers (e.g., smartphones). The receiving devices enable the creation of location reports for servers controlled by the service provider.
It should be emphasized that offline tracking networks of manufacturers share two key features: the use of short-range communication for data transfer between devices (e.g., between a smartphone and a tracking tag), and a wide network of connected mobile devices known as "finders" that transmit location information to a server controlled by the provider.
The basic idea is quite simple: when a device (lost) loses its internet connection, it starts broadcasting a unique signal beacon using short-range communication, which is picked up by nearby finder devices participating in the offline tracking network. These devices relay the signal beacon and the location where it was found to the provider's server.
The Privacy Protection Authority has analyzed relevant documents from companies manufacturing tracking tags and those providing device search and offline networks, and has formulated a series of recommendations for safe and balanced use while maintaining user privacy. It should be noted that the document does not seek to prevent the use of tracking tags but rather to provide tools for proper user conduct concerning privacy.
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