The Ahmedabad Cyber Cell has registered an FIR against a person for allegedly stalking his ex-partner using an Apple AirTag—which is a small inconspicuous Bluetooth tracker that allows users to track bags, keychains, and wherever it can fit in.
As reported by Deccan Herald, the stalker used the AirTag to track the whereabouts of the woman (his ex-partner), and now an FIR has been filed under section 354 D of the Indian Penal Code and 66E of the IT Act.
We have often heard how utilitarian Apple’s AirTag can be and how it can be helpful while tracking valuables, but several reports in recent times have claimed that the Apple AirTag and other Bluetooth-based trackers have been used for nefarious purposes such as stalking.
Further, the report claims that the woman had first noticed the presence of an AirTag “moving with” her in May when she was alerted by her iPhone 13 Pro Max. And once again while she was driving to her office from her residence, the alert popped up again. This happened again on August 29. Reportedly, one time, the woman’s driver saw another alert saying that “Your location can be seen by the owner of this AirTag.”
Now, this prompted the woman to take action as she could tell that she was being tracked. Consequently, the woman told this to the Cyber Cell officials and visited her car’s service center to look for the device. To her surprise, the said Apple AirTag was found glued under the seat cover of the driver’s seat.
The Police officers have reportedly identified the stalker who is said to be the woman’s ex-partner, and has been harassing the woman for a very long time. “This is perhaps the first case of stalking a woman using an AirTag in India,” a police officer was quoted as saying by Deccan Herald.
In related news, earlier this year, police in Memphis, USA arrested a man for tracking his ex-wife’s vehicle using an Apple AirTag. His ex-wife discovered the tracking device, and in defense, the stalker (ex-husband) said that he only intended to monitor the whereabouts of their children.
Apple had issued an official statement regarding the matter of stalking, and a company representative said, “AirTag was created to aid individuals in finding their personal possessions and not to monitor individuals or their property. We strongly denounce any malevolent application of our products.”
