Almost a decade after they were introduced, Tile is finally adding anti-stalking measures to its trackers. However, the measures don’t go as far as those taken by Apple and its AirTags.
Tile is not introducing an automatic notification alert and no alarm sound is emitted from the trackers themselves, as AirTags have had from launch. Instead, concerned Tile users will be able to use the updated Tile app to manually check if there is a Tile nearby.
“[If] you ever feel concerned that someone could be tracking you, we now offer a feature that allows you to determine if that tracking could be through a Tile product,” said the company in a blog post. “Scan and Secure, which starts rolling out this week to anyone with the Tile app (even if you do not have a Tile account), will enable you to scan for unknown Tiles or Tile-enabled devices that may be traveling with you.”
The feature will require the potential stalking target to be aware of Tile, have the Tile app, or be aware of how to download it. Tile refers to this as “phase one of a long-term approach.” Tile says the tool can be of help.
“If someone is a victim of domestic abuse and they are preparing to leave their partner for example,” says Erica Olsen, director for the National Network to End Domestic Violence’s Safety Net Project, in the announcement, “it’s helpful to be able to choose the time and place that’s safest for them to proactively check if there is a device on them that could track their location.”
“Putting the control in their hands is an important part of increasing safety,” says Olsen.
Following Apple’s lead, Tile says that it will cooperate with authorities to identify people using its trackers for “nefarious” purposes. However, where Apple says it will comply with law enforcement requests, Tile says it will require “a properly issued court order.”
It should be noted that Life360, which acquired Tile in 2021 is a company known for selling users’ precise location data. However, after the Tile acquisition, the company announced it was ceasing this practice, although it will continue to sell certain other location info.