Over three dozen victims of AirTags stalking have joined a class-action lawsuit originally filed in December against Apple.
In an amended complaint filed on June 10th, the victims claim AirTags have become “one of the most dangerous and frightening technologies employed by stalkers” due to how easily accessible and cheap they are to give real-time locations of an individual.
Originally reported by Ars Technica, the victims are said to be concerned with Apple’s negligence in regards to finding a solution to a very real security risk. Ars Technica reports, “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.”
Security concerns
The complaint alleges “multiple murders have occurred in which the murderer used an AirTag to track the victim.” LaPrecia Sanders’ son was murdered by his girlfriend, who allegedly tracked his movements using an AirTag and “ran him over with her car, killing him at the scene.”
Another, Àine O’Neill, moved to the US from Ireland only to put her dreams of Hollywood on hold after finding an AirTag tracking her steps. Now she has returned to Ireland as she had “no way of revealing the identity of her stalker or properly gauging the level of danger she was in."
Apple has added enhanced security features to AirTags, including notifications when an AirTag is detected nearby, using sounds to help track AirTags in the vicinity, and allowing Android users to interact with AirTags using the Tracker Detect app. Despite these efforts, plaintiffs allege that AirTags remain a major safety concern.
Apple is required to respond to the complaint by October 27.
