The Associated Press reports:

Tracking someone through apps and devices like the popular Apple AirTag without their consent could soon be deemed a criminal offense in Ohio, after the state’s Republican-led Senate advanced the measure Wednesday with a unanimous bipartisan vote…

[V]iolators could be charged with a new first-degree misdemeanor offense of the “illegal use of a device or application,” resulting in up to 180 days in jail. If the individual holds a prior conviction of menacing by stalking, the charge could escalate to a fourth-degree felony, resulting in six to 18 months in jail… There is no known opposition to the measure.

Exceptions to the proposal include some law enforcement activity; parents or guardians tracking their children; caregivers tracking an elderly or disabled person they are entrusted with; a non-private investigator acting on behalf of a “legitimate business purpose;” and private investigators on certain cases.

The bill now heads to Ohio’s House of Representatives for further consideration.

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