Two women are suing Apple after they claim AirTag devices make it easier for their ex-partners to find them.
Apple said it had made the devices “stalker-proof” – but a proposed class action lawsuit filed in San Francisco alleges that is not the case.
Starting at £24, AirTags are small discs – around 3cm in diameter – which are meant to be attached to keys, wallets, backpacks and other items so people can find them when lost .
But fears have grown that some people are using the trackers for criminal or malicious purposes.
The two women are suing for themselves and on behalf of others who claim they were harassed because of the AirTags.
Lauren Hughes moved to avoid a former boyfriend and claims to have discovered his new location after placing an AirTag in the wheel arch of his car.
She said he then posted a photo of a taco truck from his new neighborhood online and included a winking emoji with the hashtag “#airt2.0.”
The other complainant, who remains anonymous, said her ex-husband tracked her down after putting an AirTag in their child’s backpack.
They have described AirTags as “the weapon of choice for stalkers and abusers” – and claim it has been linked to the murders this year of women in Ohio and Indiana.
The devices use a Bluetooth signal that can be detected by Apple’s Find My Network feature.
Their lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for US owners of iOS or Android devices that have been tracked by AirTag or are “at risk” of being tracked due to Apple’s alleged negligence.
Apple has not yet responded to requests for comment.
The California-based company has acknowledged that “bad actors” have tried to misuse AirTags.
In February, Apple announced planned upgrades to make devices easier to find and notify users more quickly if unknown AirTags might be “traveling with them.”
