ArsTechnica reports that more than three dozen victims allegedly terrorized by stalkers using Apple AirTags have joined a class-action lawsuit filed in a California court last December against Apple. The complaint alleges that, partly due to Apple’s negligence, AirTags have become “one of the most dangerous and frightening technologies employed by stalkers” because they can be easily, cheaply, and covertly used to determine “real-time location information to track victims.”
Since the lawsuit was initially filed in 2022, plaintiffs have alleged that there has been an “explosion of reporting” showing that AirTags are frequently being used for stalking, including a spike in international AirTags stalking cases and more than 150 police reports in the US as of April 2022. More recently, there were 19 AirTags stalking cases in one US metropolitan area—Tulsa, Oklahoma—alone, the complaint said.
Plaintiffs argue that Apple has not done enough to reduce potential dangers, which they claim can include financial ruin and in extreme cases, murder.
We’ve seen several reports of AirTags being used by bad actors to track vehicles, stalk exes, and more. This has caused Apple to make several updates to how AirTags operate, working to deter criminal use of the trackers.
Apple has added warnings during AirTag setup, warning that the AirTag is linked to a specific Apple ID, allowing law enforcement to request identifying information about the AirTag’s owner. Apple quickly complies with such requests.
Apple has also made the AirTag sound louder, to help possible stalking victims be notified of the presence of the AirTag. Apple also released the “Tracker Detect” app that allows Android users to scan for AirTags.
Despite these moves by Apple, the plaintiffs allege that AirTags are still dangerous. The complaint alleges that Apple violated federal and state laws by negligently releasing a defective product. They says this has led to Apple being “unjustly enriched” while invading the privacy of those victims unwittingly being tracked on its devices.
“What separates the AirTag from any competitor product is its unparalleled accuracy, ease of use (it fits seamlessly into Apple’s existing suite of products), and affordability,” their complaint said. “With a price point of just $29, it has become the weapon of choice of stalkers and abusers.”
Plaintiffs are seeking damages to all persons in the US who own iOS or Android devices, which includes classes of users who were stalked, as well as those who were allegedly at risk of stalking.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to award damages to all persons in the US who own iOS or Android devices, which includes classes of users who were stalked, as well as those who were allegedly at risk of stalking. They also seek a court order “enjoining Apple from further unlawful, unfair, and/or fraudulent practices with respect to the design, manufacture, and release into the market of its AirTags.”
Apple is expected to move to dismiss the lawsuit by October 27, which is the last day the company can respond to the amended complaint.
