Kmart’s new $25 “undetectable” tracking device, disguised as an in-car USB charger, has prompted safety warnings from the eSafety Commissioner and Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety.
The device uses the Apple Find My system, the same used by Apple AirTags, with Kmart saying it is intended to help customers locate their vehicle.
However, the low-cost device has prompted warnings that sellers should consider the risks of stalking before marketing these devices.
Kmart’s website prominently claims the disguised gadget as “undetectable as a tracking device”.
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Using Apple’s Find My technology, it updates its location by detecting nearby Apple devices. By using this network, the device should eventually notify iPhone and Android users if the device is following them, but only if certain phone settings are enabled.
The CEO of Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety, Dr Tessa Boyd-Caine, told Drive that Kmart, and all retailers, should consider how devices they sell can be misused before putting the product on shelves.
“Technology-facilitated abuse can involve everyday devices being used to monitor, control, intimidate or harass a current or former partner. A tracking device designed to be difficult to detect creates an obvious risk when used to surveil someone without their knowledge,” Boyd-Caine said.
“Marketing a tracking product on the basis that it is difficult to detect should prompt serious questions about whether the risks of misuse have been adequately considered. This is where safety by design is important.
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“Manufacturers and retailers have a responsibility to consider how products could be misused and what safeguards can reduce the risk of them being used to facilitate abuse.
“The responsibility for managing that risk should not fall on women who may already be experiencing violence.”
This isn’t the first of Kmart’s low cost-tech products to face scrutiny over privacy and safety concerns.
Kmart recently pulled its $89 camera smart glasses from sale after criticism from the public, media, politicians, and regulators over fears of secret recording and data privacy.
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Drive asked Kmart how it assesses risk to the public when introducing new products to its stores, considering the smart glasses controversy, and whether the brand was concerned by the potential for this device to be used maliciously in domestic abuse situations.
“The safety and security of our customers is important to Kmart. The 2-In-1 Car Charge Tracker is designed to help customers locate their vehicle. As with similar technology, the product must be used lawfully and responsibly,” a spokesperson said.
Even without using these low-cost trackers, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has previously warned that the inbuilt tracking on modern internet-connected vehicles is already being utilised in family and domestic violence situations.
A 2026 survey of frontline workers who assist domestic abuse victims found 68.1 per cent witnessed abuse via GPS tracking and location tools ‘often’ or ‘all the time’. An increase from 33.6 per cent in 2020 and 23.6 per cent in 2015.
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A spokesperson for the eSafety Commissioner told Drive cheap tracking devices like Kmart’s were increasing the risk to victims or survivors of abuse.
“We’re concerned about the volume and variety of cheap tracking devices being sold across Australia and the safety risks they may pose to victims of domestic, family and sexual violence,” the spokesperson said.
“Through eSafety’s Technology-Facilitated Abuse Support Service, we know frontline workers are concerned victim-survivors are at greater risk of violence due to the popularity and affordability of covert tracking devices.”
The spokesperson said the Commissioner has been calling on Australian companies for nearly a decade to anticipate how their products and services could be misused by people seeking to monitor, control, or abuse others.
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“GPS and Bluetooth trackers are just one part of a broader problem of surveillance for victim-survivors, including young people and children.
“Tech-facilitated surveillance can also include tracking apps or spyware installed on phones, the misuse of geo-location data captured by smartwatches and other wearables, and the weaponisation of tracking histories stored on food and transport apps.
“We’ve seen industry take some proactive steps on Bluetooth trackers. As one example, both Apple and Google have introduced unwanted tracking alerts to their operating system software. This means if you own one of these phones, you’ll receive a notification if an unknown tracking device is moving with you while simultaneously moving away from its owner.”
Kmart’s device has no easily visible indications it is a tracking device, and Drive was able to easily scratch off reference to its tracking capabilities in the small descriptor text on its stem.
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About 62 per cent of Australians reportedly use Apple phones, and updated phones should receive a notification that a Find My device is following them. Android phone users should also receive a similar alert, according to the software developer Google.
However, to receive these notifications, Apple requires a number of settings to be switched on, including ‘Location Services’, ‘Find My iPhone’, ‘Bluetooth’, and ‘Tracking Notifications’. More information is available on Apple’s site here.
Online users of other Find My products report varying time frames before their iPhones notify them that a Find My-enabled item is travelling with them, ranging from hours to days.
Drive set up the Kmart tracker using a separate iPhone and iCloud account, then tested it for several hours. Drive was able to track the vehicle remotely using the Find My app with no alert given to the driver’s iPhone.
In a second test, a Drive journalist with an Android device took the tracker home overnight to simulate being tracked without their knowledge.
Their location was consistently and accurately tracked via Apple’s Find My network, despite the journalist not having any personal Apple devices. No notification of a device following them was sent to their phone.
These initial tests were limited in scope and should not be considered exhaustive.
The manual for the Kmart tracker has a section titled “How can I prevent my device from being used for malicious tracking”, which reads as follows:
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“When someone else’s device mixes with your belongings, and tracks it over a period of time, you will be reminded in below two ways,” the manual states.
“If you have an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch etc Apple device, you will get alerts on your Apple device. This feature is available on iOS or iPadOS 14.5 version or above.
“If someone else’s device finds its way into your stuff, your iPhone will notice it is travelling with you and send you an alert. After a while, if you still have not find it, the Car Charger and Tracker will start playing a sound to let you know where it is.”
When setting up the Kmart tracker using Apple’s Find My app, the app warns against using it to track someone without their knowledge.
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“Using this item to track people without their consent is a crime in many countries and regions around the world. This item is designed to be detected by victims and to enable law enforcement to request identifying information about the owner,” the app states.
A delayed or perhaps absent notification would be potentially welcome for owners seeking to track their vehicle if it is stolen, to keep thieves unaware of its presence. The device is also clearly designed to not be visually identifiable as a tracking device.
The eSafety Commissioner had the following advice for anyone who is, or suspects, they are being tracked:
“We encourage anyone who suspects they may be experiencing covert surveillance not to act alone,” The eSafety Commissioner said.
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“Please work with a domestic, family and sexual violence service who can help you decide on the safest next steps for your situation.
“You can also call 1800Respect on 1800 737 732 or text 0458 737 732. In some cases, it will be safest to call a service from a phone your partner has never used, such as a phone belonging to a trusted friend or family member you don’t live with.
“eSafety.gov.au has information about technology-facilitated abuse for frontline workers and people experiencing it, including online safety planning resources.”
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