AirTags seem to have been designed to notify a thief if they steal a tagged item. Furthermore, after a theft the thief has been given instructions so that they may disable the AirTag.

I anticipated that they would be useful to locate misplaced or stolen items items. As an example, I live in an area that is notorious for bicycle thefts even when "bulletproof" locks are used. An easily located and neutralized tag is not particularly useful to keep track of a wayward bicycle. What I ddi not understand was the presence and impact of anti-stalking features. The inability to pair with more than one "authorized" user is also unexpected. I did not realize that these characteristics were present when I purchased a set of tags. These collateral design features reduce the tag usefulness significantly.

Yes, not including those features would make it easier to track someone with an AirTag.

I note that at least one European airline has banned the use of activated AirTags in checked luggage.