Legal Battle Unfolds
Apple Inc. AAPL has been denied a motion to dismiss a lawsuit that claims stalkers are using their AirTag devices for nefarious purposes by tracking their victims.
A Judgement Rendered
What Happened: U.S. District Judge, Vince Chhabria, in San Francisco, has delivered a ruling that Apple must face the lawsuit filed against it, claiming that stalkers exploit the AirTag devices to track individuals, as per Bloomberg’s report.
The lawsuit, a class-action suit, was brought forth by approximately thirty-six women and men alleging that Apple was well aware of the risks tied to its AirTags. They argue that under California law, the company could bear legal responsibility for the misuse of these tracking devices.
While some claims have been dismissed, three key claims have been given the green light to proceed. These particular allegations focus on the flawed safety features of the AirTag, which purportedly led to the injuries suffered by the plaintiffs.
The Safety v.s. Responsibility Debate
Apple had contended that it had put in place “industry-first” safety protocols and hence should not be held liable for the ill use of its product. Nevertheless, the judge deemed it premature to ascertain if California law mandated that Apple should have taken additional steps to deter stalkers from effectively employing AirTags.
“Apple may eventually be justified in its claim that California law did not impose further obligations on it to hinder stalkers from using AirTags malevolently, but this conclusion cannot be drawn at this early juncture,” the judge elucidated.
The Bigger Picture
Why It Matters: Apple, alongside Google, had earlier submitted a joint proposal last May, aiming to tackle unwanted tracking facilitated by Bluetooth location-tracking gadgets like AirTags. The intent behind the proposal was to fend off unsolicited tracking through devices such as AirTags.
Primarily intended for aiding travelers in retrieving misplaced items like luggage and wallets, the AirTags have unfortunately been misappropriated for other uses.
There have been instances where an AirTag was used by a military spouse to keep tabs on a wandering packer. In a different case, a car owner managed to trace their stolen vehicle using the same device.
Moreover, news surfaced in January about a delay in the release of the next-gen AirTag due to an excess stock of the first-gen product. Nonetheless, Apple’s existing AirTags continue to function effectively, with the company facing limited competition within the “Find My” network.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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