Apple Faces Growing Number of AirTag Lawsuits
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A growing number of lawsuits claim that Apple’s AirTags endangered members of the public by enabling stalking.
Multiple cases filed in California federal court argue that the tech giant released the new product to the public in 2021 despite knowing that proper safeguards were not in place.
“One of the most dangerous and frightening technologies employed by stalkers is the use of real-time location information to track victims,” one lawsuit states. “These technologies allow stalkers to follow their victims’ movements in real time and to undo any attempt on the part of the victim to evade or hide from the stalker.”
People who have filed cases claim that the AirTag is particularly dangerous due to its highly precise location, ease of use and low price. The small device can be placed in a variety of locations, where it will begin emitting a Bluetooth signal detectable by other Apple devices.
The company has received tens of thousands of stalking reports since releasing the device to the public.
“Apple continues to find itself in the position of reacting to the harms its product has unleashed, as opposed to prophylactically preventing those harms,” the same lawsuit states.
What Comes Next for the Apple AirTag Lawsuits?
Despite the potential scope of the issue, the Apple AirTag lawsuits are still in the early stages.
Multiple new lawsuits were filed earlier this year in federal court over these claims.
If more lawsuits continue to be filed, these cases could eventually be grouped into multidistrict litigation (MDL).
MDLs place lawsuits that share many similarities before the same judge, allowing them to move through the legal process together. This can help streamline results and lead to faster outcomes while also informing potential settlement talks.