TikTok Shop Is Selling GPS Trackers and Audio Recorders for Stalking Partners
TikTok has found itself at the center of a new scandal following an investigation by 404 Media: through TikTok Shop, vast numbers of GPS trackers and covert audio devices are being sold, brazenly advertised in videos urging viewers to secretly monitor their partners. The creators make no attempt to hide their target audience—jealous men and women who suspect infidelity. In one clip, which amassed over five million views, the voiceover explicitly advises to “attach this to your girlfriend’s car,” demonstrating how to conceal the device beneath a seat, in the trunk, or under the hood. Unlike Apple’s AirTag, sellers emphasize, these trackers emit no signals and provide no warnings to iPhone owners. Equipped with SIM cards, they operate independently of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, enabling remote surveillance with ease.
Although TikTok removed some of the posts after media inquiries, dozens of similar videos remain online. Once a user watches even a single such video, TikTok Shop’s algorithms begin recommending more of the same, rapidly amplifying their reach. According to the platform’s own data, certain models have sold in the tens of thousands—one vendor exceeding 32,500 units, another nearly 98,000. In the comments, buyers boast of attaching trackers not only to their partners’ cars but even to vehicles belonging to women they do not know.
Eva Galperin, Director of Cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), condemned this practice as “a direct tool for abuse,” stressing that any call to “catch a cheater” effectively legitimizes coercive control in relationships. The legal dimension is equally troubling: in 11 U.S. states, digital tracking is explicitly prohibited under anti-stalking laws, and in 15 more, affixing a GPS device to a vehicle without the owner’s consent is illegal. Yet video creators skirt accountability by adding disclaimers such as, “this is probably illegal, but I’m not a lawyer.”
Alongside GPS trackers, TikTok Shop also promotes “stealth” audio recorders. Videos claim that simply hiding one in a car allows for “legal” eavesdropping on private conversations. Some clips, viewed hundreds of thousands of times, openly instruct viewers on “how to listen in on a cheating girlfriend.” In reality, secret audio recording without consent is considered unlawful in most countries. Despite TikTok’s pledges to block such devices, dozens of accounts continue to market them under the same abusive narrative.
The controversy raises a broader question: why does this content persist when TikTok’s own policy explicitly bans “the promotion of violence or criminal behavior that could cause harm”? An official company spokesperson stated that violating content was removed and accounts suspended. Yet, within a day, journalists discovered new videos featuring the same products and scripts. The persistence of these campaigns stems not only from algorithmic promotion but also from the normalization of covert partner surveillance within society. A 2021 study by Kaspersky Lab revealed that 30% of respondents saw nothing wrong with secretly monitoring loved ones if they suspected infidelity.
Ironically, user reviews of these devices on TikTok Shop are often negative. Many complain of poor functionality, and some note that, contrary to the ads, Apple’s FindMy still detects suspicious trackers. A similar controversy surrounded AirTag: after women filed complaints and police reports, Apple added warning notifications, though the company still faces a class-action lawsuit over inadequate protections against stalking. TikTok now faces a comparable reckoning, having allowed the sale of products explicitly marketed as tools of surveillance and control in intimate relationships.
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