Two women on Monday launched a class action against Apple after they tracked and monitored their ex-spouse’s movements using an “AirTag” device.
• Also Read: His suitcase was lost on a trip to Europe; He had his movements tracked by an Airtag
One woman says her ex-boyfriend put an AirTag in her car wheel, while another claims her ex-husband put it in her son’s backpack.
According to them, AirTag allows ill-intentioned people to follow their victims without their knowledge.
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The product, which retails for approximately $39 in Canada, was originally designed to find lost items, keys, wallet or any other valuable item. It was released in April 2021.
As big as a quarter, its small size makes it easy to hide.
However, Apple says on its site that the product is designed to prevent you from leaving it behind.
“If someone else’s AirTag is found in your belongings, your iPhone will detect it and send you an alert. If you still can’t find it after a while, the AirTag will ring to indicate its presence.
Catch it, apple
However, the two women behind the lawsuit, Lauren Hughes of Texas and an unidentified woman, believe Apple was negligent in creating and promoting these inexpensive tracking devices.
Their lawsuit, filed in a Northern California court, details how Apple marketed AirTags against expert advice. These alerted the company to potential security issues and mitigated risks.
Their stories echo other testimonials from women around the world who have found an Airtag in their belongings that doesn’t belong to them.
Model Brooks Nader revealed on her Instagram account after she was followed and found an “Airtag” in her coat pocket.
Brooks Nader | Instagram
According to a Vice News investigation, approximately 150 police reports were made over an eight-month period regarding these devices found by victims.
According to the plaintiffs’ lawyers, the number of spying cases is so high because these Apple products are so ubiquitous in the United States that it is “virtually impossible to hide from an Airtag in all, if not all, regions”.
Additionally, AirTag can take up to three days to send an alert to an Apple phone, especially late.
People who own an Android phone won’t get it.
Worse, prosecutors argue, people with bad intentions have figured out how to turn off the speakerphone on Airtags.
Some silent airtags are sold on sites like Ebay and Etsy.
Other women also testified on social networks that it was not thanks to Airtag, but thanks to AirPods.
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