My Two Cents: : Tile's feckless $1 Million fine raises awareness of stalking concerns but not in a good way for the brand.
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Tile may have INADVERTENTLY created its own pr nightmare.
There really are no teeth to this fine. I can't picture any court upholding such an excessive civil fine against anyone who violates the user agreement. As the corporate world has not (yet?) replaced the power and responsibilities of government, I don't believe governments will uphold this fine as it's not the "law" of the land. Plus, I can't picture any "violator" being able to pay this penalty. So, as many potential violators will never pay it, the fine's deterrence effect greatly diminishes. And I don't see how this helps with Tile's sales - who would want to be fined a million dollars for inadvertently misplacing a tile or using a tile to legitimately track their own children or aging parents? The only positive thing about Tile's announcement is that it raises public awareness about the issue using trackers like Tile and AirTags (despite all of their benefits) can cause the public.
electronic tracking devices like Tile and apple airtags are being used by stalkers & thiefs to help carry out their illegal activities.
Disturbingly, stalkers are using these electronic tracking devices to follow others illegally. E.g., Boyfriend girlfriend's car with AppleTag, AirTags being used to help steal cars, Tile Tracker used by ex to stalk woman, etc. This is wrong, and it needs to be stopped.
But it's not the place of the manufacturer to go after its users. You've never seen a car manufacturer "fine" an owner for driving drunk or causing an accident or a firearm manufacturer "fine" a gun owner for using one of their guns in a murder. That is the role of the government – to create laws and punishments to deter bad behavior. But tracking manufacturers are being sued for this illegal tracking "defect" for product liability. And Tile's announcement could be seen as a proactive effort to garner better PR or keep governments and courts off their back.
Meanwhile, I don't like the thought of Tile or any similar service playing "big brother" by requiring a user to upload their id, biometrics, and other personal information for the manufacturer to share with law enforcement. Interestingly, these are the requirements for Tile's "Anti-Theft Mode" and currently have nothing to do with any "Anti-Stalking Mode," as Tile appears to have none in existence; unless you count the fine as part of an "Anti-Stalking Mode." As for overall privacy, let's not forget that Tile was bought by Life360 - a "family location-sharing company ... known for selling the location on users." Disturbingly, Tile does not require authorities to have a warrant when they request tracking information. Apple does provide on its website that it can share information when requested by the authorities, but generally, a warrant is required. This and Apple's commitment to privacy make me want to stick with Apple's AirTags.
Tile gets an “f” for its poor pr effort to curb stalking.
I give Tile an "F" for releasing a PR stunt that amounts to legal nonsense. But, I will give it a "B+" for highlighting the real concern of electronic tracking stalking. It's a real concern that people need to be aware of … but this kind of stunt makes me question the Tile company as a whole.
TIPs: Apple and Tile provide ways to turn off a found tracker that is not yours. And for those devices that have a battery, just remove it. That should solve the problem.
Note: I tried Tile when it first came out and bought several. I liked the idea of being able to track my stuff with my smartphone. But the interface and linking were not crisp. I have been using my AirTags for about a year? And I love their seamless integration.
MTC.
