Tech
Apple Sued By 2 Women Who Claim That AirTag Allows Stalkers To Monitor Victims
(CTN NEWS) – Two women who claim Apple‘s AirTag devices have made it simpler for their ex-partners and other stalkers to find victims have filed a lawsuit against the company.
The ladies claimed that the company released what it referred to as the “stalker-proof” technology in April 2021.
Apple has been sued by two women who allege their previous romantic partners used the company’s AirTag devices to track their whereabouts, potentially putting their safety at risk https://t.co/l06hxGNoB0
— CNN (@CNN) December 6, 2022
Apple has been unable to use AirTag to protect people from unwanted trafficking in a proposed class action filed on Monday in federal court in San Francisco.
AirTags, which start at $29 and have a diameter of 1-1/4 inches (3.2 cm), is designed to be put into or attached to backpacks, wallets, keys, and other objects so that they can be found when they are misplaced.
A key ring containing an AirTag attached to a rucksack inside the Apple Store George Street April 30, 2021, in Sydney, Australia. (James D. Morgan/Getty Images / Getty Images)
However, according to law enforcement officials and privacy experts, some people utilize Airtags for nefarious or unlawful objectives.
The plaintiffs claimed that AirTag was “the choice of a weapon of harassers and abusers” and that it had been used in the murders of women from Indianapolis and Akron, Ohio, this year.
US users of iOS or Android-based devices e monitored by AirTag or are “at risk” of being stalked for Apple’s claimed negligence is seeking unspecified damages in Monday’s lawsuit.
Requests for comment from Apple on Tuesday did not receive a prompt response.
The Cupertino, California-based business has admitted that “bad actors” have attempted to use Airtags improperly.
Apple revealed planned updates in February that would make it simpler to locate the devices and alert consumers more quickly if unidentified AirTags were “traveling with them.”
Lauren Hughes, one of the plaintiffs in the complaint filed on Monday, said her ex-boyfriend discovered her new location after putting an AirTag in her car’s wheel well.
She claimed he subsequently used the hashtag “#airt2.0” with a picture of a taco truck from her new neighborhood and a winking emoji.
The other plaintiff, Jane Doe, claimed that after placing an AirTag in their child’s backpack, her estranged husband traced her.
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