Foreign Media: "Cheap and Effective Stalking Method"
"Experienced Actual Stalking Damage" Apple Sued
[Asia Economy Reporter Bang Je-il] Women in the United States have filed a lawsuit against Apple, claiming they suffered stalking damage due to Apple's lost item tracking device, the 'Airtag'.
According to Bloomberg on the 6th (local time), American women A and B filed a lawsuit against Apple on the 5th at the San Francisco Federal Court, claiming that their ex-boyfriend and separated husband respectively tracked their locations using the 'Airtag' and caused them harm.
The Airtag, released by Apple last year, is a coin-shaped Bluetooth device that can be attached to bags, keys, and other items, allowing users to check the location of those items through the iPhone's 'Find My' app.
In the complaint, Ms. A stated that she had been avoiding harassment from her ex-boyfriend, but he installed an Airtag on the wheel of her car, making it easy to track her location.
Ms. B also said that her separated husband put an Airtag in their child's bag to track her movements. They further claimed that tracking via Airtag has even led to murder cases.
In Akron, Ohio, a woman was shot by her ex-boyfriend who had been tracking her using an Airtag, and in Indianapolis, Indiana, a woman hid an Airtag in her ex-boyfriend's car and then followed him and rammed the car, according to the complaint.
They added, "Apple claims to have built safety features into the Airtag, but those features do not immediately alert someone when they are being tracked."
They accused Apple of carelessly releasing an unsafe device and stated that they intend to represent others endangered by Airtags through this lawsuit.
Cases of stalking crimes abusing Airtags have been reported not only in the United States but worldwide. In January this year, the UK’s BBC interviewed six women who were presumed to have been tracked by Airtags and reported on the stalking risks related to Airtags. One of these women said she suddenly heard a warning sound on her iPhone indicating a new device was detected. Although she did not usually use Airtags, she found an Airtag inside her bag upon inspection.
Concerns about the potential misuse of Airtags have been raised since their launch. In May last year, The Washington Post (WP) reported a 'stalking experience' using Airtags. WP columnist Jeffrey Fowler placed an Airtag in his bag and wandered around downtown San Francisco for a week.
The Airtag he carried was connected to a colleague's iPhone. As a result, Fowler's location was updated on his colleague's iPhone every few minutes. Fowler emphasized, "When I was at home, my home address appeared on my colleague's iPhone," and stated, "Airtags are an inexpensive and effective new stalking tool."
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