More Than 30 Americans Filed A Lawsuit Against Apple Over AirTag Tracking
Credit: Apple
More than 30 people claiming to have been harassed using AirTags have filed a lawsuit against Apple. Each claim has been separated into a separate proceeding because a similar lawsuit filed in 2022 failed to receive class action status.
The plaintiffs claim that the company released the AirTag knowing it could be used by criminals to track, pressure, and control people. The case documents state that at the time of the device’s launch in 2021, Apple lacked sufficient security mechanisms, and the company itself, according to the documents, understood that existing measures could only deter abuse, not prevent it completely. Apple reportedly received over 40,000 complaints related to stalking from April 2021 to April 2024.
The lawsuits also note that the use of the AirTag significantly simplified and expanded location tracking capabilities. Among the cited cases are incidents that resulted in violence. The device operates through the Find My network, which uses nearby devices to transmit location data to the tracker’s owner.
Apple has implemented a number of anti-tracking measures, including unknown device notifications, but the plaintiffs consider these insufficient. Specifically, notifications are reported to be delayed by four to eight hours, while in the early stages, they could only arrive after 72 hours. Furthermore, one of the AirTag’s detection methods—the beep—can be eliminated, and modified versions without the speaker are sold online.
