HARRISBURG, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a bill this week that would make it a crime to use remote tracking devices to stalk someone without their knowledge.
The legislation would amend Pennsylvania’s stalking laws to include the use of devices like Apple AirTags to secretly follow someone.
AirTags are small, inexpensive transmitters designed to keep track of often misplaced items. In recent years, Apple has come under fire over the devices, including a class-action lawsuit filed in December. The suit alleges the tech company hasn’t done enough to prevent stalkers from secretly using them. In March, a judge denied a motion from Apple to dismiss the litigation.
The bill comes from Allegheny County Democratic state Rep. Lindsay Powell.
“We need to stay vigilant about how new devices can be exploited by bad actors with criminal motives,” she said. “Too often, government is playing catchup when it comes to developing policies to minimize harm that new technologies can cause when applied beyond their intended use.”
Powell says 7.5 million Americans are victimized by stalking each year, with 80% of those victims being tracked by technology. Under her bill, it would be a third degree misdemeanor to track someone without their knowledge, with some exceptions like parents or legal guardians and law enforcement.
“What is particularly striking about this report is that, on average, the fear that cyberstalking victims experience is often higher than it is for in person victims of stalking,” she said.
The bill passed the Pennsylvania House 199-1. It now heads to the state Senate, where there is a similar bill that carries harsher penalties. It’s not clear which one the Senate will choose to take up.