AirTags to Put Apple on Trial 

Apple claim that it is set to face a lawsuit claiming that its AirTags are being used by individuals to track others without prior consent, as a judge rejected the company’s attempt to dismiss the lawsuit that was filed by a group of plaintiffs. 

For his part, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria in San Fransisco, ruled that the plaintiffs’ claims of negligence and product liability were two key components for the case to proceed, according to Bloomberg. While Chhabria dismissed some claims, the judge allowed the core agreements to move forward. 

In the ruling, Chhabria stated that while Apple’s claim that California law does not mandate additional measures to prevent stalkers from using AirTags effectively might be accurate, such a conclusion cannot be definitively reached at this early intersection. 

The lawsuit, that was brought by numerous complainants in the class-action suit, argues that the U.S. tech giant could be held legally responsible under the state of law for the improper use of the AirTag tracking devices. 

The iPhone parent has asserted that the tracking device was designed with cutting-edge safety features, thus it should not be held accountable for its misuse.  

Apple has not yet commented on the judge’s ruling. 

Throughout this year, Apple encountered a string of challenges. In a matter of days, the company halted its struggling electric car initiative, was excluded from Goldman Sachs’ elite stock selection, shifted its position on web apps for iPhones in Europe, and was fined $2 billion in Europe for purportedly exploiting its market dominance against music streaming rivals such as Spotify. 

While Apple’s stock remained relatively stable last week, it has dropped by 7% since the beginning of 2024. 

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