"Find my".app (for lack of a better designator) doesn't use the location information in the background. Weather.app does use location services in the background. Weather (like all user space apps) can also be restricted to only getting the approximate location rather than exact location.
Find my system is part of the operating system itself - not an application running in user space. It can be disabled in the "Share My Location" settings in Location services in settings and in System Services "Find My iPhone" because that part of is not a user space app running but rather part of the kernel.
What functionality that Apple has are you suggesting be extended to Tile?
Access to the U1 chip? They can do that.
Show up in Find My? Let's get some standards for secure and authenticated transmission of item location to other parties.
Have Apple's phones automatically detect 3rd party BTLE products and report their whereabouts to a 3rd party? This is a privacy nightmare. Side note - why Apple's phones? How about a patch to Android too?
> Apple stopped making it easy for apps to get permanent access to a user's location.
> The main points of differentiation of AirTags vis a vis Tile are enabled by platform capabilities that we don't have access to.
Apple makes it easy for their product (AirTags) to have always on location permissions. Apple makes it hard for their competitor (Tile) to have always on location permissions.
Apple is using their ecosystem to advantage their AirTag business instead of competing on the same playing field as Tile.
You are asking to have Apple pick up random BLE messages and send them to various 3rd party vendors with corresponding location information?
Does Tile have a secure way of receiving those messages that does not compromise the security and anonymity (exposing the identity of either the device or the receiver, or the location of either) of the person whose device picked up the message so that this can be implemented in Android core and Apple?
Pre launch of AirTags, users could opt in to always on location permissions for the Tile app. Post launch of AirTags, Apple makes it hard for Tile users to have always on location permissions.
> You are asking to have Apple pick up random BLE messages and send them to various 3rd party vendors with corresponding location information?
I'm not asking for anything. This is just one of many examples of the form: Apple offers API for 3rd party accessory, accessory is successful, Apple launches 1st party accessory, Apple restricts 3rd party accessory API.
Is this behavior illegal? The Department of Justice says it is. The courts will decide.
