Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney today commented on Apple's Find My service, referring to it as "super creepy surveillance tech" that "shouldn't exist."
Sweeney went on to explain that several years ago, "a kid" stole a Mac laptop out of his car. Years later, Sweeney was checking Find My, and as the Mac was still connected to his Apple ID account, it showed him the location where the thief lived.
This feature is super creepy surveillance tech and shouldn’t exist. Years ago, a kid stole a Mac laptop out of my car. Years later, I was checking out Find My and it showed a map with the house where the kid who stole my Mac lived. WTF Apple? How is that okay?! — Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) July 30, 2024
Sweeney's take is curious, because providing the location of a lost or stolen device is exactly what the Find My service is meant to do. Apple devices remain tied to a user's account if not removed, a feature that is meant to thwart theft.
A lot of people are saying this here. While technically true, it misses the point: you can't track the location of a device that's in someone's possession without tracking that person, and people have a right to privacy. This right applies to second hand device buyers and even to… — Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) July 30, 2024
After confusion from his Twitter followers over his comments, Sweeney said that the location of a device in someone's possession can't be tracked without tracking the person, and "people have a right to privacy." He claims that detection and recovery of a lost or stolen device should be "mediated by due process of law" and not exposed to the device owner "in vigilante fashion."
When Sweeney saw how Find My worked, he said he turned off the feature on all of his devices.
While Apple's AirTag item trackers have been criticized for their use by stalkers, the Find My service has not been the target of similar complaints. Find My and Activation Lock have been important theft deterrents, cutting down on iPhone theft. Apple recently expanded Activation Lock to include iPhone components to prevent them from being disassembled for parts.
