Apple in legal trouble: Women accuses AirTag for letting stalkers track victims

In a proposed class action filed on Monday in San Francisco federal court, the women said Apple has been unable to protect people from unwanted trafficking through AirTag since launching what it called the “stalker proof” device in April 2021. 

Starting at $29, AirTags are 1-1/4 inches (3.2 cm) in diameter, and intended to be slipped into or attached to keys, wallets, backpacks and other items so people can find them when they are lost. As per privacy experts and law enforcement, some people use Airtags for criminal or malicious purposes.

Moreover, the plaintiffs called AirTag “the weapon of choice of stalkers and abusers.” They said the Apple’s tracking device has been linked to murders this year of women from Akron, Ohio and Indianapolis.

Monday’s lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for U.S. owners of iOS or Android-based devices who were tracked by AirTag or are “at risk” of being stalked because of Apple’s alleged negligence. The California-based technology company has acknowledged that “bad actors” have tried misusing Airtags. To recall, in February, Apple announced planned upgrades to make it easier to find the devices, and warn users faster that unknown AirTags might be “traveling with them.”

One of the plaintiffs in Monday’s lawsuit, Lauren Hughes, stated that her former boyfriend learned where she had moved to avoid him after placing an AirTag in her car’s wheel well.

Hughes added that her former boyfriend later posted a photo online of a taco truck from her new neighborhood, and included a winking emoji with the hashtag “#airt2.0.” The other plaintiff, Jane Doe, accused her estranged husband of tracking her after putting an AirTag in their child’s backpack.

Reuters reported that this case is registered as Hughes et al v. Apple Inc, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 22-07668.

(Inputs from Reuters)