Women sue Apple, claim AirTags helped exes stalk them | 24CA News

Apple has been sued by two ladies who mentioned its AirTag units have made it simpler for former companions and different stalkers to trace down victims.

Starting at $29 US ($39 Cdn), AirTags are 3.2 centimetres in diameter and supposed to be slipped into or connected to keys, wallets, backpacks and different gadgets so folks can discover these gadgets when they’re misplaced.

But privateness specialists and legislation enforcement have mentioned some folks use AirTags for prison or malicious functions.

In the proposed class motion filed on Monday in San Francisco federal court docket, the ladies mentioned Apple has been unable to guard folks from undesirable monitoring by AirTag since launching what it referred to as the “stalker-proof” machine in April 2021.

The plaintiffs referred to as AirTag “the weapon of choice of stalkers and abusers.” Their lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for U.S. house owners of iOS or Android-based units who have been tracked by AirTag or are “at risk” of being stalked due to Apple’s alleged negligence.

Apple didn’t instantly reply on Tuesday to requests for remark.

Apple planning machine upgrades

The Cupertino, Calif.-based firm has acknowledged that “bad actors” have tried misusing AirTags.

In February, Apple introduced deliberate upgrades to make it simpler to seek out the units and warn customers extra rapidly that unknown AirTags is perhaps “travelling with them.”

One plaintiff in Monday’s lawsuit, Lauren Hughes, mentioned her former boyfriend discovered the place she had moved to keep away from him after inserting an AirTag in her automotive’s wheel properly.

She mentioned he later posted a photograph on-line of a taco truck from her new neighbourhood, and included a winking emoji with the hashtag “#airt2.0.”

The different plaintiff, Jane Doe, mentioned her estranged husband tracked her after placing an AirTag of their kid’s backpack.