Dozens join lawsuit alleging Apple AirTags are 'weapon of choice' of stalkers, abusers
This photo illustration taken on Feb. 13, 2023, shows an Apple Air Tag in Washington, DC. (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Over two dozen new plaintiffs have joined an existing lawsuit, accusing Apple Inc. of negligence for failing to prevent stalkers from abusing its popular AirTag tracking product.
The lawsuit, filed last December, now has 38 plaintiffs, and alleges that the tech giant dismissed concerns that its AirTag device could increase stalking, despite the device offering "unparalleled accuracy, ease of use, and affordability."
"With a price point of just $29, it has become the weapon of choice of stalkers and abusers," the lawsuit claims.
The lawsuit alleges that Apple "heedlessly forged ahead" at the genesis of their AirTag launch in 2021, disregarding the product's "inevitable use in stalking."
The plaintiffs argued that "immediately" after the AirTag was launched reports "have proliferated" of people being stalked through the use of the device, whether they find it in their purse, car, or sewn into the lining of their clothes. The group also argued that multiple people have been murdered after being tracked by an AirTag.
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"The effects are devastating," the lawsuit says. "Finding a mysterious homing beacon hidden in your personal effects or your car is a terrifying experience. It forces an undeniable reckoning with the fact that someone — perhaps someone you know, perhaps not — is aware of your every move."
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The California-based company has acknowledged that "bad actors" have attempted to misuse AirTags, and they have implemented safety upgrades this year. This year, Apple created an alert saying "AirTag Found Moving With You" to any unfamiliar iPhones that the AirTag is nearby for an extended period of time.
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Despite safety upgrades, the plaintiffs argue that Apple's stalker proof technology is "totally inadequate."
"Apple has spent the last two-and-a-half years scrambling to address its failures in protecting people from unwanted, dangerous tracking," the lawsuit says. "Apple continues to find itself in the position of reacting to the harms its product has unleashed, as opposed to prophylactically preventing those harms."
Plaintiffs are seeking Apple Inc. to pay damages and do more to cease its "unlawful, unfair and/or fraudulent practices."
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Apple did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.