Complaint registered against man for stalking Ahmedabad woman using AirTag
According to the Ahmedabad police, this could perhaps be the first case registered in the country of stalking using AirTag
The cyber sleuths in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad have registered in what appears to be the country’s first case of stalking using Apple’s AirTag—a small, coin-sized Bluetooth-enabled device primarily designed to help people locate their valuables and gadgets.
“We have identified the stalker and will soon arrest him. This could perhaps be the first case registered in the country of stalking using AirTag,” said Ajit Rajyan, ACP, Cyber Crime, Ahmedabad.
Police said that the accused responsible for the stalking happens to be the complainant’s former partner who has been bothering her for several months. This person used the AirTag to keep tabs on her, even tracking her location and phone calls. Police have registered a case against this individual under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 354 D for stalking and the Information and Technology Act’s Section 66E for invading privacy.
The mystery behind this case began when the complainant, a woman from Ahmedabad, started getting strange messages on her iPhone in May. These messages said things like “AirTag Found Moving With You,” and they made her feel uneasy.
Days later, while driving from home to her office, she received a similar message. Her driver and daughter also received similar messages on their iPhones. In August, she got another alert while heading to work. At one point, her driver clicked on the notification, and it revealed, “Your location can be seen by the owner of this AirTag.”
She decided to seek help from police and the cyber cell in Ahmedabad. To locate the device, she went to the car service station and found the AirTag glued under the seat cover behind the driver’s seat.
Cases involving AirTag have gained attention internationally as well. Reports of misuse and privacy concerns have surfaced, prompting authorities and individuals to address the challenges posed by the device. Several instances of unwanted tracking, harassment, and invasions of privacy have been reported in different countries, leading to discussions about the responsible use of technology and the need for safeguards against such misuse.
Apple, the company that makes AirTag, has stated that the device is meant to help people find their lost belongings, like keys and wallets, through the Find My app.
The statement added, “AirTag was designed to help people locate their personal belongings, not to track people or another person’s property, and we condemn in the strongest possible terms any malicious use of our products. Unwanted tracking has long been a societal problem, and we took this concern seriously in the design of AirTag.”