Ohio is working on a new bill to ban Apple AirTag tracking people

IT House May 14 news, according to 9to5 Mac, AirTag has been helping Apple users track their lost or stolen items since last year. However, some people have been using the tracking device for more nefarious purposes. An Ohio news station has discovered a loophole in a law that allows the use of electronic trackers to track people.

Back in February, 3News reported on an incident involving an Akron woman whose car was being tracked by AirTag. It was the AirTag’s alert that surprised her and prompted her to seek help from Akron police. After inspecting her car, police found an AirTag in the rear bumper of her car – which may have been placed there by her ex-boyfriend.

The investigation led 3News to find that, in Ohio, those without prior stalking or using domestic violence could use AirTag stalking without penalty. The station then conducted an analysis and found that at least 19 states have laws against electronic tracking. But Ohio State is not among them.

HB672 No tracking of people

To change that, 3News has been advocating for bipartisan legislation to ensure unwanted tracking is prevented. It lobbied local lawmakers in both houses of the Ohio State Capitol and gained support from Democrats and Republicans.

As a result of this effort, two representatives announced the introduction of a new bill, HB672, in the Ohio House of Representatives. This would “generally prohibit a person from knowingly installing a tracking device or app on someone else’s property without their consent.”

Pennsylvania is also working to address the issue within its state, introducing legislation that would criminalize the misuse of AirTags.

Apple has also been working to improve its anti-tracking measures for AirTags.With a recent update, the company issued a privacy alert to those setting up new AirTags.Additionally, new firmware updates will sound when unknown AirTags appear among users, making them easier to find.