Amber Neely
Pennsylvania state representatives have pushed forward a second piece of legislation that would penalize the unauthorized use of Bluetooth trackers, like AirTag, to track someone.
There's no shortage of instances where someone discovered they were being tracked without their knowledge via AirTag. While the $29 coin-sized trackers have proven useful when retrieving lost luggage, it's also proven too tempting for those with nefarious intentions.
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives in Pennsylvania voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill that would add using a tracking device to secretly follow someone to the state's existing stalking laws. The new law would classify this behavior as a third-degree misdemeanor, which could result in up to 90 days of imprisonment.
The legislation will now make its way to the state senate for further consideration.
This isn't the first time Pennsylvania has introduced such legislation either. As AP News points out, there's currently a separate bill pending that would make the crime a second-degree misdemeanor.
It's not clear which bill will get the go-ahead, if any.
Pennsylvania isn't the only state with this on their minds. In May 2022, Ohio introduced legislation that would prohibit using a tracking device on another person's property without their consent.
In the event that your iPhone tells you that an AirTag is following you, AppleInsider has a helpful guide to help you determine what the best course of action is.
Wesley Hilliard
Christine McKee
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
6 Comments
I'll I will say is that if my suitcase wants to sue me for tracking it, then it better have a darn good lawyer. My house, my rules!
Of course stalkers, wife beaters and other nefarious characters will obey. This is like expecting criminals not to use guns.
I was going to note that tracking isn't stalking. Not allowing AirTags to track is simply saying that AirTags will not be allowed in Pennsylvania.
To the point of the potential law, there is a potential gray area where some people may end up innocently forgetting an AirTag somewhere which someone else will deem to mean they're being stalked which could become a problem in some fringe cases, especially where harsher sentencing occurs because of said law. That said, overall it's a good direction.