Despite Apple’s claims that their AirTags are “stalker-proof,” real life cases of two stalked victims who filed a class-action lawsuit against the company for their inadequate safety design prove otherwise.

The plaintiffs cited incidents where former partners hid AirTags in a car wheel and a child’s bagpack to stalk the women, track their whereabouts, and harass them, prompting them to go to court.

They claimed that the safeguards put in place by Apple for the devices are “woefully inadequate.”

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the following “classes” of people:

  1. iOS device users who were stalked without consent in the U.S.
  2. American citizens with an Android phone subjected to non-consensual stalking.
  3. Everyone in the U.S. with an iOS device, but still potentially at risk of stalking.
  4. At-risk folks using an Android phone and living in Apple’s home market.

Reports of stalking and using AirTags to steal cars are not the first of its kind, but this time Apple has been dragged to court over multiple charges.

Plaintiffs alleged that the company rushed out a product without proper safeguards. The design has also been criticized as the trackers failed to perform as expected, even though Apple claimed the AirTags are “stalker-proof.” The lawsuit mentions that “AirTag’s design defect was a substantial factor” in causing harm.

AirTags weren’t initially loud enough, and after being flagged, Apple decided to bump up their sonic warning capability.

Apple now faces 12 claims. The plaintiffs allege Apple of breaching their privacy by geolocating them, violating state privacy laws, and fraudulent marketing to deceive the public regarding the devices’ safety.

The lawsuit makes it clear that “each Plaintiff continues to be at risk of unwanted and unlawful tracking via an AirTag device.”

The lawsuit seeks “recovery of actual damages or $50, whichever is greater, discretionary treble damages up to $1,000, punitive damages.”

However, the settlement amount will depend on the number of class members that sign up to support the legal challenge.