GoKawiilSafety regulators have long expressed concern about the potential risks to children posed by the easily-opened battery compartment of AirTags. It’s not uncommon for children to swallow objects with a similar size and shape to candy – like the coin batteries used – and this can potentially cause life-threatening injuries …
Consumer protection bodies issued warnings about these risks as long ago as 2021.
The ACCC is concerned that the AirTag’s battery compartment could be accessible to young children, and the button battery removed with ease. In addition, the AirTag battery compartment’s lid does not always secure fully on closing, and a distinctive sound plays when an AirTag’s lid is being closed, suggesting the lid is secure when it may not be.
As we noted at the time, the most dangerous scenario is that the battery gets lodged in a child’s throat and then leaks. The lithium can cause catastrophic bleeding, which can be fatal in as little as two hours.
Apple responded by adding warning symbols and statements to the inside of the battery compartment, the box, and the Find My app.
A new Energizer Ultimate Child Shield series of batteries has now been announced, which the company says completely eliminates the risk of esophageal burns. This includes the CR2032 batteries used in AirTags.
Energizer Ultimate Child Shield is the world’s only coin lithium battery that prevents ingestion burns if swallowed. Our no-burn technology eliminates the risk of esophageal burns.
The company says that the new batteries have three further safety features:
Child-resistant packaging
A non-toxic bitter coating to encourage children to spit out batteries
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