AirTag Lawsuit Claims Apple Tracking Devices Used to Stalk Woman

Lawsuit alleges Apple rushed AirTags to market despite knowing the Bluetooth tracking devices could be exploited by stalkers and abusers.

A Florida woman has filed a lawsuit claiming Apple knowingly released its popular AirTag Bluetooth tracking devices without adequate safeguards, which allowed her former partner to secretly monitor her movements for months.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by a plaintiff identified only as Jane Doe D.C. 1 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida on August 2, naming Apple Inc. as the defendant. 

Jane Doe D.C. 1 claims Apple knew before AirTags reached consumers that the small, inexpensive tracking devices could become powerful tools for stalking. However, rather than delaying the product launch until meaningful protections were in place, the company chose to prioritize bringing AirTags to market while assuring consumers the devices were effectively “stalker-proof.”

Despite those assurances, the lawsuit alleges AirTags quickly became a preferred tool for abusive partners and stalkers because they could be hidden inside vehicles, luggage, clothing or personal belongings while providing near real-time location information to whoever planted the device.

AirTag Stalking Risks

Apple introduced AirTags in April 2021 as small Bluetooth tracking devices designed to help consumers locate lost items, such as keys, wallets or luggage. About the size of a quarter, each AirTag communicates with Apple’s “Find My” network, which anonymously uses nearby iPhones, iPads and other Apple devices to relay the tracker’s location back to its owner.

However, domestic violence organizations, cybersecurity experts and technology journalists allegedly warned Apple before the product’s release that the Bluetooth tracking network could easily be exploited by stalkers. In addition, critics indicate that Apple’s own internal communications acknowledged the company should have consulted domestic abuse organizations before introducing the product.

In light of these concerns, a number of AirTag stalking lawsuits have been brought in recent years. According to many of these complaints, AirTag stalking reports appeared almost immediately after the product launched and have continued for years.

Plaintiffs allege Apple received more than 40,000 stalking reports between 2021 and 2024, averaging roughly 1,000 complaints each month. Numerous published reports involving AirTags also allude to the devices being used to allegedly facilitate domestic violence, assaults and even homicides.

AirTag Stalking Allegations

According to the complaint, Jane Doe D.C. 1 was repeatedly tracked between 2024 and October 2025 by concealed devices allegedly planted by her former romantic partner during an ongoing child custody dispute.

Court filings show that she first discovered a hidden tracking device inside her daughter’s shoe in 2024. Over the following months, she found additional concealed devices hidden inside a suitcase and a tablet. At least one of those devices was an Apple AirTag.

After months of alleged tracking, the complaint indicates the plaintiff eventually received an alert on her iPhone warning that an unknown AirTag was traveling with her. However, she alleges the notification did not appear until approximately two days after the tracking had already begun, long after her movements had allegedly been monitored.

Jane Doe D.C. 1 says she reported the incidents to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and turned over at least one recovered tracking device as evidence. The complaint further alleges her former partner ultimately located her and their daughter, then took the child in violation of an existing custody order.

The filing claims the alleged tracking campaign left the woman fearful for her own safety and that of her daughter, causing severe emotional distress, relocation expenses, lost wages and ongoing anxiety.

“As a direct and proximate result of Apple’s negligence, Plaintiff suffered actual damages, including relocation expenses, lost wages, mental suffering, fear, anxiety, and severe emotional distress arising from being tracked, stalked, and separated from her daughter.”

— Jane Doe D.C. 1 v. Apple Inc.

Jane Doe D.C. 1 alleges Apple repeatedly responded to criticism by introducing software updates instead of redesigning the product before launch. She points out that early AirTag notifications could take up to three days before alerting someone they were being tracked. Although Apple later shortened the delay, the lawsuit contends notifications still often arrive hours after tracking begins, leaving victims vulnerable during the period they are being monitored.

Plaintiff also argues that Android users received even fewer protections because Apple initially failed to provide automatic background detection for non-Apple devices, leaving nearly half of U.S. smartphone users without meaningful warnings for more than two years after AirTags were introduced.

In addition, the lawsuit claims AirTag speakers can be disabled, notification sounds are too quiet or inconsistent, alerts cannot always be manually triggered, firmware updates depend on the AirTag owner’s cooperation, and victims often must physically locate and dismantle a hidden AirTag before tracking can be stopped. The complaint argues Apple could have implemented numerous safer alternative designs before releasing the product yet chose not to do so.

Jane Doe D.C. 1 raises allegations of negligence, strict liability—design defect, violations of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and invasion of privacy. She is seeking compensation for alleged injuries, in addition to asking the court to require Apple to stop marketing and distributing AirTags without stronger protections against unwanted tracking and stalking.

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