Ohio working on new bill to ban AirTags from tracking people

For the past year, AirTag has been helping Apple users track lost or stolen items. However, some use the tracking device for more nefarious purposes. An Ohio news station has found a loophole in a law that allows people to be tracked using electronic trackers.

Back in February, 3News reported on an incident involving an Akron woman whose car was tracked using AirTag. It was the AirTag alarm that frightened her and prompted her to seek help from the Akron police. After checking her car, the police found an AirTag in the rear bumper of her car, which was probably left by an ex-boyfriend.

The investigation led 3News to conclude that in Ohio, those who have not previously experienced stalking or domestic violence could potentially get away with AirTag harassment – without punishment. The station then conducted an analysis and found that at least 19 states have laws against electronic tracking. Ohio is not one of them.

HB672 disable people tracking

To change that, 3News is advocating bipartisan legislation to protect against unwanted tracking. He lobbied local legislators from both houses of the Ohio State House and won the support of both Democrats and Republicans.

As a result of these efforts, two representatives announced the introduction of a new bill, HB672, in the Ohio House of Representatives. It “generally prohibits a person from knowingly placing a tracking device or application on another person’s property without the other person’s consent.”

Pennsylvania is also working on this issue in its state, proposing legislation to criminalize AirTag abuse.

Apple is also working on improving the anti-retaliation measures for AirTags. With the latest updates, the company is passing on a privacy warning for those setting up the new AirTag. In addition, the new firmware update makes a sound when an unknown AirTag is among you to make it easier to find.

You can read the full text as the story continues to develop.

Sight

I’m glad Ohio, like other states, is looking to take a step towards punishing AirTag abusers. Designed to track lost items, stalking people is absolutely not what the device is designed for. We’ve just started our second year with AirTag – perhaps things will continue to improve by year three. I hope that with all the negative feedback about the device (and more positive ones) we can get to a place where AirTags are safer and more secure from harassment. As a state where everything seems to be fromthis is one step in the right direction for the bakai.

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