Multiple states across the U.S. are bringing awareness to stalking incidents involving AirTags and are proposing to enact laws to penalize such activities. Airtags and similar trackers use Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) connections to help users track and trace their everyday items, such as wallets, keys or backpacks. They are relatively inexpensive in most cases, enabling people to buy plenty of them to track everyday objects without breaking the bank.
However, despite all their apparent advantages, AirTags and other BLE trackers have come under increasing scrutiny. According to multiple reports over the past several months, bad actors have been using these devices to stalk women and steal vehicles. Stalking with BLE trackers has become a cottage industry, with some online sellers even selling modified ‘stealth AirTags’ with disconnected speakers and disabled warnings. While they were being marketed as a solution to prevent thieves from discovering hidden AirTags in stolen items, they’ve been met with resistance from leading privacy advocates and were eventually de-listed.
Pennsylvania, Ohio and New Jersey are three of the first states in the U.S. to have proposed concrete legislation to tackle stalking incidents involving AirTags and BLE trackers. The Keystone State was the first to make a move towards outlawing Airtag stalking in January this year, when John T. Galloway, a Pennsylvania house democrat, proposed legislation that would make misuse of AirTags and similar trackers punishable by law. This month, Ohio and New Jersey also took steps toward punishing unlawful tracking. New Jersey’s Assembly Bill 1549 and Ohio’s HB 672 both seek to prohibit the use of electronic devices to track people without their consent, but with a few notable exceptions for law enforcement, as well as parents and guardians of minor children.
Proactive Measures Against AirTag Stalking
Stalking, in general, is a crime in all U.S. states, and according to 3News in Ohio, at least 19 states have specific laws against electronic tracking. However, the proposed new legislation in Ohio would plug the loopholes in existing laws and specifically make stalking by AirTags and BLE trackers a punishable crime. As per the report, the proposed bill would prohibit anybody from “knowingly installing a tracking device or application on another person’s property without the other person’s consent.” The two House members sponsoring the bipartisan bill hope that it would have the desired effect in curbing AirTag stalking.
The developments in Ohio and New Jersey follow a warning from New York Attorney General Letitia James, who sent out a public safety alert last February, asking citizens to be vigilant about trackers that someone can plant on their person, cars or belongings. Meanwhile, it’s not just the politicians trying to reign in the unlawful use of trackers. Apple has been rolling out updates to prevent its trackers from being used for illegal purposes, including an important one last month that will tune the unwanted tracking sound to help people more easily locate unknown AirTags.
