A class-action lawsuit against Apple alleges that AirTags have been used to facilitate murder.
The claim comes from a December complaint from two women who both faced stalking incidents with the help of an Apple AirTag. The class-action lawsuit has since added more than three dozen other plaintiffs, according to Ars Technica.
In addition, the lawsuit now argues that AirTag-based stalking can sometimes end in violence. “The consequences have been as severe as possible: multiple murders have occurred in which the murderer used an AirTag to track the victim,” the amended complaint says.
As evidence, the lawsuit cites several news articles that mention AirTags being used to track and then murder a stalking victim. This includes an incident from July, where a woman in Chicago was allegedly killed by “her estranged boyfriend after removing an AirTag that he’d secretly placed in her car,” the lawsuit says.
“AirTag tracking has even led to murder when the AirTag’s owner is simply trying to track down stolen property. For example, a Texas man shot and killed a suspected car thief, after following his stolen truck via an AirTag placed within the vehicle,” the lawsuit adds.
The amended complaint also covers AirTag stalking incidents faced by the new plaintiffs. In some cases, photos are provided showing the AirTags used.
Although Apple added safeguards to prevent AirTags from being abused for stalking, the lawsuit claims the protections remain “woefully inadequate” to stop the misuse, especially for Android phone users, who previously needed to download an app to detect rogue AirTags.
So far, Apple hasn’t publicly responded to the class-action lawsuit. But the company has been expanding its efforts to stop potential abuse via the location trackers. In July, Apple worked with Google to roll out a built-in system for Android phones to detect rogue AirTags. The companies have also released a new industry specification to prevent all Bluetooth-based trackers from being exploited for stalking purposes.
Still, the amended class-action lawsuit is demanding a US court force Apple to pay damages and do more to cease its “unlawful, unfair and/or fraudulent practices” with regards to AirTags.