Other trackers would not do that. It seems Apple actively put effort into thwarting this kind of use.
This isn't a new thing and Apple takes steps that, for example, Tile doesn't to prevent their products from being used for nefarious purposes
They've also made it easier than gps trackers (no sim card needed), probably safer for stalkers (does Apple have a way to report AirTags used for crime and/or find out who owns it?) and it's more effective than Tile.
It also favors their own ecosystem, because only iphone owners get warned. (no I don't consider beeping enough, finding something that beeps intermittently is notoriously difficult).
The difference in level of abuse for something that will actively draw attention to itself after some period of time vs something of the same cost that was previously widely available and was more subtle and would not, is pretty big. And it is in the favor of Apple not being abusive or favoring abuse.
The protections in the system feel more like PR shields than effective deterrents.
Sticking trackers onto the cars of people parked near bars isn't really a thing you do on a whim.
> GPS trackers designed to be magnet-attached to a car which report their location via cell signal cost ~$20 on Amazon. You then tend to need to pay for either a SIM card or a subscription to the device maker's service -- bringing you up to about the cost of an AirTag.
So you're saying Apple made it even more trivially possible. Not only does it cost the same, it now requires less effort.