Apple is being sued by a pair of women who say the company's AirTag tracking devices made it easier for former partners and other stalkers to track victims down.
The proposed class-action suit filed Monday in San Francisco federal court, Hughes et al v. Apple Inc.Apple Inc., contends that the tech giant has been unable to protect users from unwanted trafficking through AirTag since it launched the stalker proof device in April 2021.
Lauren Hughes said her boyfriend had tracked her down after placing an AirTag in her car's wheel well. The other plaintiff said her estranged husband tracked her after putting an AirTag in her child's backpack.
While the $29 AirTags are supposed to be used to find lost items, law enforcement has said some people use them for criminal or malicious purposes.
The women said AirTags had been linked to murders in Ohio and Indiana earlier in the year and they are seeking unspecified damages for owners of iOS or Android-based accessories that were tracked by AirTags or are at risk of being stalked due to the company's alleged negligence.
The California-based company has acknowledged bad actors have tried to misuse AirTags and announced upgrades in February.