Cupertino, California-based tech giant Apple Inc has been sued by two women who allege the geolocation device AirTag he has made it easier for his exes and other stalkers to track his steps, putting the victims in danger.
These two women filed the complaint on Monday, December 5, in the federal court of San Francisco, in which they point out that the company has not been able to guarantee the protection of its users against the illegal use of their devices, which were launched as " stalker-proof” in April of last year.
“The AirTag helps you find your things very easily. Attach one to your keys and one to your backpack so you can always see their location in the Find My app. In addition, this app also allows you to locate your Apple devices and keep in touch with your family and friends, "refers to Apple in its space for the device.
The technology company ensures that with the device there will be "hundreds of millions of people helping you find your things." “If you forgot something away from home, like at the beach or at the gym, the Find My app network of hundreds of millions of iPhones, iPads, and Macs around the world will help you locate your AirTag. . In addition, the network is designed to always protect your privacy”, however, the plaintiffs assure that the location goes much further for those who use it illegally.
The AirTag, which starts at $29, sends out a Bluetooth signal that can be detected by nearby devices on the Find My app's network. In turn, these devices send the location to iCloud, so it can be seen on a map.
For their part, privacy experts and authorities have pointed out that some people use AirTags for criminal or malicious purposes.
The plaintiffs pointed out that the AirTag is "the preferred weapon of harassers and abusers."
“What separates AirTag from any competitive product is its unparalleled accuracy, its ease of use ?it fits seamlessly into Apple's existing product range? and its affordability," they specified.
In turn, they exposed that the indicated device has been related to murders this year of women from Akron, Ohio and Indianapolis.
One of the plaintiffs alleges that after her divorce from her ex-husband, she left an AirTag in her son's backpack. He tried to disable it, but found another one shortly after. While Lauren Hughes, the other plaintiff, alleges that after ending a three-month relationship with a man, he began calling her from blocked numbers, created fake profiles to follow her social media accounts, and left threatening voicemails.
Hughes says he was living in a hotel while planning to move out of his apartment for his safety. When she got to her hotel, she received an alert that an AirTag was near her. He later located it in the wheel well of one of his rear tires. Once Hughes moved into his new neighborhood, the man posted a photo of a taco truck in his neighborhood with "#airt2.0," the complaint states.
Notably, Apple alerts users if an unknown AirTag is found near them, but the notification is not immediate and is only available on devices running iOS software version 14.5 or later, excluding some older Apple devices. The consequences could be fatal, the complaint alleges.
Shortly after AirTag's release, domestic abuse advocates and technology specialists warned Apple that the product could be easily compromised, according to the complaint.
For its part, Apple announced planned updates to make devices easier to find and warn users faster that unknown AirTags might be "traveling with them."
The class action lawsuit seeks a jury trial without monetary damages.
You may be interested in: Analysis indicates that hate speech on Twitter grows despite what Elon Musk said
