Security News > 2023 > February > Fines as a Security System

The Anti-Theft Mode feature will make the devices invisible to Scan and Secure, the company's in-app feature that lets you know if any nearby Tiles are following you.

To activate the new Anti-Theft Mode, the Tile owner will have to verify their real identity with a government-issued ID, submit a biometric scan that helps root out fake IDs, agree to let Tile share their information with law enforcement and agree to be subject to a $1 million penalty if convicted in a court of law of using Tile for criminal activity.

So although it technically makes the device easier for stalkers to use Tiles silently, it makes the penalty of doing so high enough to deter them from trying.

It won't work against attackers who don't have any money.

My complaint about the technical solutions is that they only work for users of the system.

Tile security requires an "In-app feature." Apple's AirTag "Notifies iPhone users." What we need is a common standard that is implemented on all smartphones, so that people who don't use the trackers can be alerted if they are being surveilled by one of them.

News URL

https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2023/02/fines-as-a-security-system.html