Maybe, but is any old car thief on the street going to hang on to a car they know has an airtag in it? They probably were going to joy ride it for the afternoon, maybe commit some other crime, wreck it, and dump it regardless.

I have an airtag in my car, but I don't think I'm going to get much value out of it other than finding my car when I forget where I'm parked.

If you want to catch a criminal in the act, you usually need to observe surreptitiously or they'll change behavior.

> but is any old car thief on the street going to hang on to a car they know has an airtag in it?

No, and that's mostly the point right? If they get in the car, get an alert they're being tracked, then dump the car, at least you find it faster.

By the point it's stolen, it's probably already too little too late. Not only will it probably be going to some impound lot before I can get to it -- it'll probably be on track to be my insurance company's car at that point. Seeing it on a map might be fun for curiosity's sake at that point, I guess.