How can someone connect with & track my AirPod Pro 2’s if I own them and haven’t given them permission?

DearSouth wrote:

I was training with a co-worker and at the end of the workday he showed me the map on Find My of all the places we stopped and the route we took… come to find out he was connected to my AirPod Pro 2’s. He even was able to tell my AirPod’s to play a sound!

What you described is how your AirPods work with the Apple's Find My Network. The reason he can "see" your AirPods on his iPhone is that his phone is part of that network. As such, when an Apple AirPods or AirTag is within Bluetooth range (~30-40') of his phone, it will appear in the Find My app on that phone. As far as the phone is concerned, the AirPods are "following" him ... which, in reality, they were.

Apple, being strictly concerned about security, provides iPhone (& iPad & Android) owners, notifications when that occurs. This is to prevent someone from being stalked. They also give those owners, the ability to have the device play a sound to help them locate it. Think of a situation where some miscreant leaves an AirTag hidden in your car. I'm sure you would want to be notified.