They’re broadcasting. Even if the device isn’t individually identifiable, being a source of signals that have Apple encryption is sufficient to determine that there is a device present.
When I walk the streets I can detect smartphones’ BT, CarPlay/Android Auto BT, Smartwatchs’ BT, Beacons, Dogs BT Fobs, BT key Fobs, BT headphones…Apple’s devices are no different in this regard and the devices does not manifest themselves as being Apple devices.
Exactly – current devices don’t, as they don’t have this feature yet. Besides it likely uses a non-default signaling mode that isn’t by default exposed by a random listener.
But given the thing from the Wired article:
your laptop will emit its rotating public key via Bluetooth. A nearby stranger’s iPhone, with no interaction from its owner, will pick up the signal, check its own location, and encrypt that location data using the public key it picked up from the laptop.
That means that there *has* to be a signal that can be identified as belonging to a device with this feature.
Do note that this also depends on the stranger’s device keeping the location encrypted. It essentially goes, “Apple device with secret hash xxxxxxxxxxx detected near my current location” … you’d need to trust the stranger’s device to keep the location sufficiently secure.
So yeah. Without that trust, privacy is dependent on there ALWAYS being a sufficient mass of such devices that the mere presence of one doesn’t stand out… and that in turn is very much of a challenge against any kind of a selective antenna, even a simple directional portable one…
Also sort of bad that they keep emitting while “offline”.
