Tile takes a more proactive approach to handle thieves and potential stalkers that want to use its Bluetooth trackers. The new Anti-Theft Mode makes the Tile devices undetectable from its Scan and Secure feature. The latter functionality allowed some bad actors to locate and remove Tile trackers from a stolen item. With Anti-Theft mode, the trackers will become invisible to any other person trying to find the Tile tracker through the app, which makes it helpful for finding a stolen item.
But Tile imposes stringent terms for this feature. It's disabled by default, but when you want to turn it on, you need to submit yourself to a multi-factor ID process. That includes putting your government ID and photo on file and accepting Tile's terms that include sharing your personal information with law enforcement “at [its] discretion” to “aid in the investigation and prosecution of suspected stalking.” And anyone convicted of stalking someone using a Tile tracker will receive a US$1 million fine.
As Inverse pointed out, you'll be trading in a bit (or more) of your privacy in place of keeping your things secure. It's a feature you need to think about before activating. There is cause for concern given Tile's past. It was found in 2021 that Life360, Tile's owner, had been selling precise location data it collected from customers since 2016. Life360 vowed it won't sell Tile location data and scaled back its entire data sales operation in 2022. But the commitment to collaborate with law enforcement opens a potential avenue to pressure the company for information.