[threepio]

Apple is creating a yawning double standard between its "privacy is a human right" [1] refrain and its own profit interests.

If you're skeptical, the pricing says it all. Apple could've sold AirTags for $99 each with a $1/mo service fee to use the Find My network. That would've boosted their profit margin on the initial sale and created recurring revenue, while restricting network load.

As it stands, AirTags are $25 each and free to operate, which means that Apple wants them to be ubiquitous — buy 10 or 20 and put them everywhere.

Apple has gotten a lot of mileage on their idea that "the customer is not the product" but this is a turn in the wrong direction. Despite months of claims that AirTags are impregnable, unhackable, etc. the news is just going to get worse.

[1] https://www.apple.com/privacy/

[robertlagrant]

> AirTags are $25 each and free to operate, which means that Apple wants them to be ubiquitous — buy 10 or 20

Counting on lots of people spending $500 on AirTags is probably not a real master plan.