Cupertino, CA — Apple is now facing more than 30 individual lawsuits from people who allege they were stalked using the company’s AirTag device, following a judge’s decision to deny class certification in a 2022 case. The filings, submitted in rapid succession after the denial, accuse Apple of releasing a product it knew could be weaponized for surveillance and abuse.

“Apple released the AirTag while fully aware it could be purchased and used by abusive, dangerous individuals to track, coerce, control, and otherwise endanger innocent victims,” the plaintiffs’ attorneys stated in the legal documents. The cases highlight a growing privacy crisis linked to the $29 tracking tag.

Internal documents uncovered in the earlier lawsuit reveal that Apple recognized its safeguards would “deter as opposed to prevent malicious use.” The company also acknowledged it “should have consulted domestic abuse organizations on the unwanted tracking policy before shipping.” Apple reportedly received more than 40,000 stalking reports between April 2021 and April 2024.

Background

AirTags, launched in 2021, rely on Apple’s vast Find My network, which uses any nearby iPhone, iPad, or Mac to relay the tag’s location to its owner. This crowdsourced approach makes the tracker exceptionally powerful — and, critics say, exceptionally dangerous for stalking victims.

Apple has introduced anti-stalking features, including cross-platform alerts that notify potential victims when an unknown AirTag is traveling with them. But plaintiffs argue these measures are insufficient. “The 4-to-8-hour delay before a notification is received gives stalkers a critical window,” one filing noted. “Originally, no alert was sent for 72 hours.”

Compounding the problem, the AirTag’s built-in speaker can be easily removed, with modified silent versions sold on sites like eBay. “The ability to disable the only audible warning makes the device nearly invisible to victims,” said Sarah Chen, a privacy researcher at the Digital Rights Institute.

What This Means

The wave of individual lawsuits bypasses the class-action route, which was blocked due to differences in state laws and the unique circumstances of each stalking incident. “Each case will now be litigated on its own merits, increasing legal costs for Apple and potentially leading to conflicting rulings across jurisdictions,” explained Mark Torres, a product liability attorney.

Plaintiffs are seeking compensatory and punitive damages, attorney’s fees, and an injunction to prevent Apple from continuing what they describe as “unlawful business practices.” If successful, the cases could force Apple to redesign the AirTag — for example, by shortening the alert delay, making the speaker tamper-proof, or requiring mandatory opt-in for Find My network participation.

For consumers, the litigation underscores the tension between convenience and safety. “AirTags are invaluable for finding lost keys, but they also represent a profound risk when misused,” Chen said. “The outcome of these lawsuits may set a precedent for how tech companies are held accountable for foreseeable misuse of their products.”

Related: AirTag | Apple Lawsuits