Modern technology gives some level of comfort to parents knowing that they can track their teenagers’ where-abouts using a phone app. And many a jilted-lover has used the technology attempting to locate a significant other who doesn’t want to be found.
The apps can be very handy if you’re trying to locate a lost iPhone, for instance. According to Apple, “You take your devices everywhere. Which means you might leave them anywhere. But with Find My iPhone, chances are they won’t be lost for long.”
But what happens when technology inexplicably goes awry, which is what is happening to an Atlanta, Georgia couple. And what, if any, is your recourse should this happen to you?
The couple is being bombarded by complete strangers banging on their front door at all hours demanding that the couple turn over the stranger’s iPhone or iPad. Christina Lee and Michael Saba say people have come in the middle of the night, and one person even brought the police with them.
Their answer is always the same, “Your phone-tracking app is wrong,” explaining that they do not have the person’s iPhone. The couple received more than a dozen visits since last year, and already this month, two new strangers have contacted them.
The missing phones have been on different carriers, and have thus far stumped tech experts, phone companies and police trying to find an answer and a solution. Speculations range from WiFi or IP address mapping to flaws in cell tower triangulation.
Thus far, Google, Apple nor the FCC has been able to offer any solutions to the problem. Lee and Saba have tried to remedy the problem by changing routers and adjusting security settings, but nothing has helped them.
At one point, they were made to wait outside while police searched their home when the app said that a missing girl’s phone was in their home. Lee and Saba say they’re afraid that they could become crime victims themselves.
They plan on filing a complaint with the FCC and with their senator, hoping that putting some public pressure on the issue will help solve the problem.
Have you had a bad experience with technology that is designed to help you? Has the Find My iPhone app ever steered you to the wrong location?