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Enough Is Enough: Ohio Wants to Ban AirTag Stalking Once and for All

Ohio could be the next state to make the use of GPS trackers a criminal activity if the purpose is stalking someone without their consent.
Apple AirTags 11 photos
Photo: Apple
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House Bill 672 is making it harder for people with nefarious purposes to sidestep the law and use devices like Apple’s AirTag to keep an eye on a select individual.

On paper, Apple’s AirTag is a great device. With a very tiny form factor, the AirTag was designed from the very beginning to help people keep an eye on their belongings. It can be attached to things like car keys and wallets, and then, using a connection to nearby iPhones, it can provide the owner with location information.

But the way it was built allows people with bad intentions to use the AirTag as a stalking weapon. The number of stalking cases involving AirTags in the United States has skyrocketed in the last few months, with plenty of reports revealing that the GPS tracker was planted in wheel wells, behind the license plates, or in other hard to reach areas specifically to keep track of someone’s location.

In some cases, criminals found loopholes in the local legislation to claim they weren’t doing anything illegal, especially if they had no history of domestic violence or stalking.

But according to Ohio media, the new bill is specifically supposed to prevent such abuses by making it clearer that GPS trackers can’t be used to monitor someone’s location without consent.

There are obviously some exceptions, including for parents who want to keep an eye on their children, but overall, the new Ohio bill makes it harder for criminals to turn to an AirTag specifically for stalking.

The bill is yet to pass, but it’s believed it’ll eventually get the go-ahead, especially as stalking has become a big concern in the majority of U.S. states after the introduction of Apple’s GPS tracker.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
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Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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