Oregon Woman’s Lawsuit Against Apple for AirTag Safety Alert Failures

An Oregon woman recently took legal action against Apple after being stalked by a former partner using a hidden AirTag. The woman, referred to as “Jane Doe” for privacy reasons, filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Oregon in Medford, alleging that Apple’s anti-stalking safeguards failed to alert her to the tracking.

The lawsuit highlights the misuse of Apple’s AirTag trackers, originally designed to help locate items like luggage and equipment but increasingly exploited for nefarious purposes such as stalking. The plaintiff accuses Apple of negligence for not adequately protecting victims despite the built-in safeguards of the AirTag.

The stalker had surreptitiously placed an AirTag under the victim’s vehicle, enabling him to track her movements on multiple occasions. In addition to tracking, the stalker also made verbal and written threats to the woman and caused damage to her property. Subsequently, the stalker was charged with stalking using a GPS device, leading to a restraining order being issued against him.

Seeking justice, the victim initiated legal action against Apple, seeking $75,000 in damages. She claims that Apple failed to alert her to the presence of an unknown AirTag tracking her, even though she owned an iPhone and should have received a notification. The lawsuit asserts that Apple’s safeguards, including the alert system for unknown AirTags, did not function as intended in this case.

Apple had implemented multiple safeguards early on to prevent the misuse of AirTags for stalking and malicious purposes. These safeguards included alerts for the presence of unknown AirTags and other Bluetooth tracking devices, available on both iOS and Android devices. Users can view the AirTag’s identifier, play a sound on the tracker, and access instructions on how to disable it when detected.

Despite efforts to enhance the AirTag’s functionality through firmware updates, incidents of stalking using AirTags have persisted. In one case, two individuals were arrested for using AirTags to follow victims home and commit theft. Another incident involved a man charged with stalking for placing an AirTag on a woman’s vehicle against a no-contact order.

This lawsuit is not the first time Apple has faced legal action related to AirTag tracking. A previous class-action lawsuit alleged that Apple’s anti-stalking measures were insufficient, leading to unlawful tracking and even “multiple murders.” While the lawsuit initially proceeded, it later lost its class-action status, requiring reevaluation and potential re-filing.

In a separate lawsuit, two Detroit women claimed that their former partners had used AirTags to track them, highlighting failures in Apple’s alert system. These cases underscore the ongoing challenges and consequences of misuse of tracking technology, urging companies like Apple to continually enhance safeguards and protect users from potential harm.