Two women are suing Apple after claiming AirTag devices made it easier for their ex-partners to track them.
Apple claimed to have made the devices “stalker-proof” – but a proposed class-action lawsuit filed in San Francisco claims that’s not the case.
Starting at £24, AirTags are small discs – around 3cm in diameter – intended to be attached to keys, wallets, rucksacks and other items so people can find them when they get lost.
But fears have grown that some people are using the trackers for criminal or malicious purposes.
The two women are suing for themselves and on behalf of others who say they have been persecuted because of the AirTags.
Lauren Hughes moved to avoid an ex-boyfriend and claims she discovered her new location after placing an AirTag in the wheel arch of her car.
He said he later posted a photo of a taco truck from his new neighborhood online and included a wink emoji with the hashtag “#airt2.0.”
The other plaintiff, who remains anonymous, said her ex-husband tracked her down after placing an AirTag in their child’s backpack.
They described AirTags as “the weapon of choice of stalkers and harassers” and say it has been linked to the murders of women in Ohio and Indiana this year.
The devices use a Bluetooth signal that can be detected by Apple’s Find My Network feature.
Their lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for U.S. owners of iOS or Android-based devices who have been tracked by AirTags or are “at risk” of prosecution due to Apple’s alleged negligence.
Apple has not yet responded to requests for comment.
The California-based company has acknowledged that “bad actors” have attempted to misuse the AirTags.
In February, Apple announced planned updates to make devices easier to find and warn users faster if unknown AirTags might be “traveling with them.”
