Earlier this year, Elevation Lab announced the launch of a "Silencer" for AirTag meant to pierce the speaker on the device to disable the sound.
Elevation Lab explained that it created the Silencer to keep thieves from detecting an AirTag on valuable products like bikes, but the company didn't think easy speaker removal would be problematic.
The AirTag plays a sound when it is away from its owner to alert users that a tracker might be following them. AirTags have been criticized for making stalking simple, and Apple has improved safety features multiple times since the trackers launched in 2021. The latest AirTag 2 even has a louder speaker and more adhesive to make the speaker harder to remove.
We did not cover the launch of the Elevation Lab Silencer because we didn't want to publicize an accessory that does away with the AirTag's anti-stalking feature, and Elevation Lab must have heard several complaints. Six Colors' Glenn Fleishman, for example, said the device was "appalling." When he asked Elevation Lab about it, Casey Hopkins, the company's CEO, explained that users can already silence AirTags themselves, and people will still get smartphone notifications if an unknown AirTag is traveling with them.
Elevation Lab reversed course and sent out emails today letting customers know that the Silencer is no longer available for purchase.
We launched an AirTag silencing tool recently. We've always made products we want for ourselves, and this was no different - we wanted it for AirTags on our bikes. (Some of us have bikes more valuable than our cars.)
In retrospect though, this also has the side effect of aiding someone with bad intentions to track someone that wouldn't get phone notifications.
We have removed the product and will use our patent on it to prevent anyone else from making one in the future.
The Silencer had a pin located where the AirTag speaker is. The device description instructed users to remove the AirTag battery, apply the Silencer, and hit it with a hammer to cause the pin to pierce the AirTag's plastic cover and the speaker below.
AirTag alerts do make the trackers less useful for locating items stolen deliberately, but audible sound is an essential safeguard that exists to protect people from stalkers. Elevation Lab plans to use its patent to make sure other companies do not design and release a similar accessory.
