Two women in Texas identified as Lauren Hughes and Jane Doe have filed a class action lawsuit against tech company, Apple.
They both claimed the company was careless in the development and marketing of the AirTag devices, which they argued allow stalkers to easily track their victims.
The federal lawsuit revealed that Apple released the devices despite the advice of security experts who warned about potential security issues.
Hughes alleged that she discovered one of the devices in the wheel well of her car, allowing her ex-boyfriend to track her movements while the other victim said her estranged husband tracked her movements by placing an AirTag in her child’s backpack. Apple first introduced AirTags in April 2021 to assist Apple users in keeping track of personal belongings such as wallets and keys.
The device sends its location via bluetooth to any iPhone, iPod, or iPad running the ‘Find My’ app.
When they were first released, Apple executives marketed them as ‘stalker proof,’ claiming that they included chime notifications to alert Apple device users if an AirTag was within 30 feet of them for an extended period of time.
Domestic abuse organisations, however, warned that the devices could make it easier for abusers to locate their victims.
Eight months since the devices were released to the public, 150 police reports involving AirTags from dozens of US police departments have been recorded.
A quarter of the 150 reports involved women who had called the police after receiving notifications that their whereabouts were being tracked by an AirTag they didn’t own.
Lawyers for Hughes and Jane Doe, on the other hand, said that the number only includes incidents reported to police or obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests, noting in the lawsuit: ‘Upon Plaintiff’s counsel’s investigation, information, and belief, this number is significantly higher.’
They point out that Apple products are ubiquitous throughout the United states, making it ‘virtually impossible to hide from an AirTag in most, if not all, populated areas.’
IPhones, iPods, and iPads will notify users if an AirTag that is not registered to them has been following them for more than 72 hours.
