Apple Faces Lawsuit Over AirTag Stalking Dangers

Apple Faces Lawsuit Over AirTag Stalking Dangers
Short Title	Stalking with the AirTag
Location	United States
Date	Dec. 6, 2022
Solove Harm	Surveillance, Aggregation, Insecurity, Secondary Use, Blackmail, Disclosure, Intrusion
Information	Location, Preference, Knowledge and Belief, Identifying, Public Life, Social Network, Ownership
Threat Actors	Airtag Stalkers
Individuals
Affected	The two women who filed the lawsuit, Owners of iOS or Android devices
High Risk Groups	Owners of iOS or Android devices
Tangible Harms	Anxiety, Change of Behavior, Change of feelings or perception, Embarrassment, Loss of Trust, Suicide

Apple is facing a proposed class action lawsuit over its AirTag tracking devices, with two women alleging that the company failed to implement adequate safeguards against stalkers. The lawsuit claims that AirTags, priced at $29, have become a tool of choice for stalkers due to their affordability. Apple is accused of neglecting warnings from advocacy groups and news reports. The plaintiffs argue that Apple's safeguards are inadequate, especially for Android users, and seek unspecified damages for those tracked or at risk of being stalked.

Description

The article is about a lawsuit against Apple, because of the worries that their air tag tracking devices are being misused by stalkers. Two women are suing Apple, alleging that their former partners had been using AirTags to spy on them. The complaint says Apple doesn't listen to warnings and puts insufficient security measures in place. The women are saying that since AirTags are cheaper, they've become a popular tool for stalkers. The article gives a detailed account of individual cases where people are being targeted and harassed through AirTags, leading to fear for their safety. The lawsuit seeks damages for individuals tracked with AirTags or at risk of being stalked.

Using the Solove Taxonomy reveals a range of privacy harms. Stalkers, using AirTags, engage in surveillance by tracking individuals' locations and activities. The aggregation of this location data allows stalkers to monitor daily routines, including home and work locations. The potential for stalkers to share this information raises concerns about insecurity and possible abuse. The taxonomy identifies risks like secondary use and blackmail, as stalkers may leverage location data for threats and coercion, including capturing unauthorized personal photos through AirTags, introducing a blackmail element. The act of disclosure itself raises the risk to personal security. The intrusion category underscores the disturbance caused when stalkers physically reach a tracked location, disrupting an individual's tranquility.

Sources

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/06/business/apple-airtag-lawsuit.html