Apple AirTags stalking led to financial ruin and murders, California class action lawsuit claims

This month, more than three dozen people who were allegedly terrorized by stalkers using Apple AirTags have joined a class-action lawsuit against the company. They allege that AirTags have become a dangerous tool for stalkers because they can be easily, cheaply, and secretly used to track victims’ real-time location.

The lawsuit, which was originally filed in California court last December, alleges that Apple is negligent in part because it has not done enough to prevent AirTags from being used for stalking. The plaintiffs are seeking damages and changes to the way AirTags are designed and marketed.

Ashley Belanger for Ars Technica:
‎

Since the lawsuit was initially filed in 2022, plaintiffs have alleged that there has been an “explosion of reporting” showing that AirTags are frequently being used for stalking, including a spike in international AirTags stalking cases and more than 150 police reports in the US as of April 2022. More recently, there were 19 AirTags stalking cases in one US metropolitan area—Tulsa, Oklahoma—alone, the complaint said.

This seeming escalation is concerning, plaintiffs say, because Apple allegedly has not done enough to mitigate harms, and AirTags stalking can lead to financial ruin, as victims bear significant costs like hiring mechanics to strip their cars to locate AirTags or repeatedly relocating their homes. AirTags stalking can also end in violence, including murder, plaintiffs alleged, and the problem is likely bigger than anyone knows, because stalking is historically underreported.

“What separates the AirTag from any competitor product is its unparalleled accuracy, ease of use (it fits seamlessly into Apple’s existing suite of products), and affordability,” their complaint said. “With a price point of just $29, it has become the weapon of choice of stalkers and abusers.”

‎
MacDailyNews Take: Obviously, AirTags should not be used to track people without their knowledge, and should not be used to track property that does not belong to you. Using these products to track people without their consent is a crime in many countries and regions around the world. If an AirTag, set of AirPods, or Find My network accessory is discovered to be unlawfully tracking a person, law enforcement can request any available information from Apple to support their investigation.

Thankfully, Apple’s AirTag includes features to guard against unwanted tracking which you won’t get that from any other item tracker.

With any other tracker, you would be tracked for as long as the tracker remains functional without notification.

Apple AirTags are the most anti-stalking, pro-privacy, and safest trackers on the market.

If any AirTag, AirPods, or other Find My network accessory separated from its owner is seen moving with you over time, you’ll be notified in one of two ways. These features were created specifically to discourage people from trying to track you without your knowledge.

1. If you have an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, Find My will send a notification to your Apple device. This feature is available on iOS or iPadOS 14.5 or later. To receive alerts, make sure that you:
   • Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services, and turn Location Services on.
   • Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services. Turn Find My iPhone on.
   • Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services. Turn Significant Locations on to be notified when you arrive at a significant location, such as your home.
   • Go to Settings > Bluetooth, and turn Bluetooth on.
   • Go to the Find My app, tap the Me tab, and turn Tracking Notifications on.
   • Turn off airplane mode. If your device is in airplane mode, you won’t receive tracking notifications.

2. An AirTag, AirPods Pro (2nd generation) charging case, or Find My network accessory that isn’t with its owner for a period of time will emit a sound when it’s moved.

If you’re stuck with a Android device, you can download Apple’s Tracker Detect app from the Google Play Store. Tracker Detect looks for item trackers within Bluetooth range that are separated from their owner and that are compatible with Apple’s Find My network. These include AirTag and compatible item trackers that use the Find My network. If you think someone is using an AirTag or another item tracker to track your location, you can use the Tracker Detect app’s scan feature to try to find it. If the app detects an AirTag or compatible item tracker near you for at least 10 minutes, you can play a sound to help find it.
‎
Please help support MacDailyNews. Click or tap here to support our independent tech blog. Thank you!

Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.