Rep. Sykes Applauds Governor DeWine Signing Her Anti-Digital Tracking Legislation Into Law, Continues Push for Federal Action
Sykes Introduced the Legislation that is Expected to be Signed into Law by Governor DeWine Before the New Year
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, U.S. Representative Emilia Strong Sykes (OH-13) applauded Ohio Governor Mike DeWine for signing into law legislation that she introduced to prohibit a person from knowingly installing a tracking device or tracking application on another person’s property without the other person’s consent. The state legislation was originally introduced as H.B. 672 by then-Ohio Representative Sykes with bipartisan support and was her final bill introduction before being elected to Congress representing Ohio’s 13th district. She has since introduced multiple pieces of legislation that will support H.B. 672 at the federal level.
“I’m proud that the Ohio Legislature has passed my legislation to protect Ohioans from an insidious – and previously legal – form of stalking,” said Rep. Sykes. “Geotracking devices are meant to be used to locate and keep track of property like luggage or keys, but when I served in the Ohio House of Representatives, a constituent from Akron made me aware that anyone can use this technology to secretly track or stalk people. The fact that there hadn’t been any recourse for those who have had this technology used to track their location without their consent is unacceptable. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Washington to pass a version of this important legislation so that no one has to live in fear of being electronically tracked without their consent.”
Though personal tracking devices like Apple AirTag and Tile are intended to track property, crimes have been reported across the country involving the use of these devices to stalk victims, specifically women being stalked by former spouses or relationship partners. The current federal stalking law does not explicitly ban unwanted location tracking using an electronic device.
That’s why, in 2023 Rep. Sykes introduced the Stop Electronic Stalking Act, which would prohibit the use of personal tracking devices to track people without their consent. This legislation, which is based on Ohio’s H.B. 672, would amend the federal criminal code’s definition of stalking to codify that the unauthorized tracking of an individual by a GPS device qualifies as stalking to prevent victimization and penalize bad actors who use these devices for nefarious purposes.
The Stop Electronic Stalking Act is part of a comprehensive legislative package introduced by Rep. Sykes to prevent domestic violence, empower and support survivors, and keep families safe. In addition to banning the use of electronic devices to track people without their consent, the full Safer Homes and Families Act would:
- Expand access to Social Security spousal benefits for individuals who divorce due to domestic abuse;
- Train healthcare providers to better identify and treat individuals who have experienced sexual assault, domestic violence, or dating violence; and
- Allow individuals who are experiencing dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault to break their lease without adverse costs.
Rep. Sykes first became aware of this issue while serving in the Ohio House of Representatives after a constituent from Akron and an investigation from WKYC Cleveland 3 brought it to her attention. This constituent’s former partner put a personal tracking device on her car and tracked her location for several months without her knowledge. Eventually with the help of the Akron Police Department, the constituent was able to locate and remove the tracking device but was surprised to learn that tracking someone electronically without their consent was not illegal under Ohio law. Rep. Sykes subsequently introduced Ohio H.B. 672, bipartisan legislation that would have prohibited a person from knowingly installing a tracking device or tracking application on another person’s property without the other person’s consent.
In addition to the Stop Electronic Stalking Act, Rep. Sykes also introduced an amendment to H.R. 4755, the Privacy Enhancing Technology Research Act, to support research to protect individuals from being tracked electronically without their consent. The House passed H.R. 4755, with Rep. Sykes’ amendment, and it is awaiting action in the Senate.
A longtime advocate for protecting survivors of domestic violence, Rep. Sykes’ work on domestic violence issues has earned bipartisan praise and resulted in her priority legislation, Ohio H.B. 1, to be signed into law when she was in the Ohio House of Representatives. Ohio H.B. 1 gives victims of dating violence the ability to obtain civil protective orders against their attacker.
If you or someone you know is experiencing violence, you can call the?National Domestic Violence Hotline?at?800-799-7233?for free, 24/7 support.