A team of researchers found that, by not encrypting the data broadcast by Tile tags, users could be vulnerable to having their location information exposed to malicious actors.

The researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology—found that each tag broadcasts an unencrypted MAC address and unique ID that can be picked up by other Bluetooth devices or radio-frequency antennas in a tag’s vicinity to track the movements of the tag and its owner. The location of a tag, its MAC address, and unique ID also get sent unencrypted to Tile’s servers, where the researchers believe this information is stored in cleartext, giving Tile the ability to track the location of tags and their owners, even though the company claims it does not have this capability.

The researchers say this would give Tile the ability to conduct “mass surveillance” on its users and potentially provide that information to law enforcement and others.

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