Apple Faces Lawsuit Over AirTag Stalking - PCMag

Two women are suing Apple implicit claims that its AirTags are fueling stalking incidents successful the US.

“With a terms constituent of conscionable $29, it has go the limb of prime of stalkers and abusers,” the filing(Opens successful a caller window) alleges. The women filed the class-action suit successful a US national court, arsenic archetypal spotted by Bloomberg(Opens successful a caller window). One of the plaintiffs, Texas nonmigratory Lauren Hughes, said a stalker utilized an AirTag past twelvemonth to way her by placing the instrumentality successful the instrumentality good of her car. 

The suit besides claims Hughes received small assistance from Apple oregon section constabulary successful stopping the stalker. “Ms. Hughes continues to fearfulness for her safety—at minimum, her stalker has evidenced a committedness to continuing to usage AirTags to track, harass, and endanger her, and continues to usage AirTags to find her location,” the ailment adds.

A photograph of the AirTag recovered successful Hughes' car.

The different plaintiff is an unnamed pistillate from New York called “Jane Doe,” who faced stalking from her ex-husband with the assistance of an AirTag this past summer. 

“Ms. Doe was incapable to fig retired however her erstwhile spouse could travel her movements truthful closely, until 1 time she recovered an AirTag successful her child’s backpack. She attempted to disable oregon different render ineffective that AirTag, but different 1 soon showed up successful its place,” the ailment says. The unnamed pistillate besides continues to fearfulness for her safety. 

To marque its lawsuit against Apple, the suit points to galore quality articles and reviews astir the stalking risks associated with AirTags. It besides cites reports astir AirTags being utilized to assistance abusers way down their victims and termination them successful 2 abstracted cases successful Akron, Ohio(Opens successful a caller window), and Indianapolis(Opens successful a caller window). 

“While Apple has built safeguards into the AirTag product, they are woefully inadequate, and bash little, if anything, to promptly pass individuals if they are being tracker,” the suit argues. “Moreover, determination is simply a gross imbalance betwixt the protections disposable to iOS/Apple users, versus those disposable to individuals with Android devices —rendering Android users astir defenseless to tracking/stalking utilizing an AirTag.” 

The suit is suing Apple for a twelve antithetic charges, including negligence, usurpation of the close to privacy, unjust enrichment, and demanding the institution wage up successful damages. 

Apple didn’t instantly respond to a petition for comment. But the institution continues to adhd refinements to AirTags to forestall stalking. This includes releasing an app for Android users to assistance them observe rogue AirTags, though it's up to the user to download it. In addition, Apple says it's been working with instrumentality enforcement to ace down connected malicious AirTag use. 

If you’re acrophobic astir stalking from AirTags, cheque retired our guide for tips connected however to support yourself.