Apple is facing a group claim stating that Airtag trackers have allegedly led to “several murders.”
The plaintiffs argue that perpetrators or potential killers are using AIRTAG to track their victims, whether by placing the tracker in a bag, a car, or directly on a person. The lawsuit claims that Apple has not taken sufficient measures to “protect people from unwanted, dangerous tracking.”
Apple, on the other hand, asserts that AIRTAG is designed to prevent or deter unwanted monitoring through notifications on the user’s phone. According to Apple, if someone else’s AirTag is placed in your bag or jacket, your iPhone will detect it and send a notification stating, “ARTAG is found in motion with you. The owner can see the location of this AIRTAG.” The company also states that if a person misplaces their AIRTAG, the device will emit a sound to help locate it.
However, the plaintiffs argue that since the notification does not appear immediately, the perpetrator has ample time to track the victim’s location. The lawsuit points out that while Apple has reduced the time it takes to receive notifications, some individuals still do not receive them until the day after the tracker was placed. It states that Apple sends notifications between 4 to 8 hours after the tracker is activated.
Another concerning aspect of Airtag is that Android users do not enjoy the same protective measures as iPhone users, as their devices operate on a different operating system and do not receive monitoring notifications. Apple intends to introduce a tracking option for Android users, but only after reaching an agreement with Google regarding “anti-stalking measures” in May 2024.
The lawsuit emphasizes that the consequences of using Airtag “have been as serious as possible.” There have been multiple cases in which the killer used Airtag to track victims. In other instances, victims used Airtag to track stolen property and apprehend the thieves, only to be killed themselves during the encounter.
Filed last year, the lawsuit cites several instances when Airtag was used to track victims. One such case occurred in January 2022, when a woman in the United States was relentlessly pursued by her ex-husband using Airtag, which he had placed in her car. Ultimately, the man shot the woman. Another case involved a woman who secretly placed an Airtag on her partner