The use of loss-prevention tags by stalkers quickly spread in Japan last year, the National Police Agency has reported.
According to the NPA, police across the country gave advice to victims of stalking via electronic tags in 592 cases between January and November 2025, up 1.6 times from the whole of the previous year.
The tags in question, roughly the size of a ¥500 coin, about 26.5 millimeters in diameter, emit signals that allow users to track items they are attached to through such devices as smartphones and tablets.
Their misuse for stalking increased from three cases in 2021 to 113 cases in 2022, 196 cases in 2023 and 370 cases in 2024, amid the small, inexpensive products becoming widely available.
Many victims have discovered the tags, which are supposed to be attached to wallets and keys by the owners, affixed to their cars without their knowledge, or hidden in their belongings, the NPA said.
The revised antistalking law took effect on Dec. 30, banning the attaching of tracking tags to another person’s property without permission or using them to obtain someone’s location data. It also allows police to issue warnings on their own authority in suspected cases.
In time with the law’s implementation, the agency printed some 70,000 posters saying the tags’ misuse will lead to prohibition orders or enforcement actions.
AloJapan.com