Photo/Illutration Apple Inc.'s AirTag is a popular Bluetooth tracker roughly the size of a 500-yen coin. (Hideoki Kozuki)

The Cabinet has approved a major revision to the anti-stalking law that would ban the use of Bluetooth tracking devices to monitor individuals without their consent.

The amendment would also let police issue warnings to suspected stalkers without requiring a formal complaint from the victim.

The proposal is expected to be submitted to the current extraordinary Diet session.

Bluetooth trackers were originally designed to help find lost items by emitting low-energy signals that are detected by nearby smartphones, which then relay location data to the tag owner's device.

Conventional GPS trackers were banned for unauthorized tracking of individuals under a 2021 law revision. However, item trackers were excluded from the regulation because they transmit location data indirectly. 

This loophole has led to a dramatic rise in abuse of the devices.

According to police data, reports of stalking involving Bluetooth tracking tags surged from just three cases in 2021 to 370 in 2024. This year, that number had already been surpassed by the end of September.

Disturbing incidents include a 2022 case where a man used a tracker hidden in a woman’s car to locate her before deliberately crashing into her vehicle and abducting her.

In another case, a man handed a stuffed toy with a tag in it to his child during a visitation amid divorce proceedings.

A separate legal revision approved on Nov. 11 adds unauthorized tracking with Bluetooth devices to the list of actions prohibited under restraining orders, targeting their misuse in domestic abuse cases.

POLICE AUTHORITY EXPANDED

The anti-stalking law revision also addresses a critical gap: under current rules, police can only issue warnings if the victim formally requests it.

However, many victims hesitate due to fear of retaliation or emotional conflict. The new provision allows police to act on their own authority if objective circumstances suggest a threat.

This change was inspired by the case of Asahi Okazaki, a 20-year-old woman from Kanagawa Prefecture, who was killed after Okazaki and her family repeatedly told police her former boyfriend stalked and was violent with her. He has since been indicted on murder charges.

Police failed to issue a warning or restraining order before it was too late despite the red flags. A September report from the Kanagawa prefectural police acknowledged procedural delays and missed opportunities to intervene.

The National Police Agency said it aims to issue timely warnings to prevent escalation and protect victims. It also stressed that authorities will continue to respect victims' wishes in how they respond.

(This article was compiled from reports by Daichi Itakura and Shimpachi Yoshida, a senior staff writer.)

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