Apple AirTag Lawsuit Filed After Tracking Device Found Hidden Under Woman’s Car

Lawsuit claims iPhone never warned woman an AirTag was present while stalker used it to threaten and terrorize her.

An Oregon woman has filed a product liability lawsuit indicating she had to get a restraining order and have a stalker arrested after accidentally discovering the hidden Apple AirTag he was using to track her.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by an anonymous woman identified only as Jane TB Doe in Oregon federal court on September 16, naming Apple Inc. as the sole defendant.

Doe claims Apple placed a dangerous device on the market that it knew could easily be abused and used to stalk others. Furthermore, she alleges the company failed to install any reasonable safeguards toward the predictable misuse and life-threatening dangers inherent in the AirTag’s design, despite being forewarned of the risks.

Apple AirTag Concerns

First introduced by Apple in 2021, AirTags are small, relatively cheap Bluetooth tracking devices. They are designed to be placed in purses, on key chains and other personal belongings. When the item cannot be found, the device relays its location back to the owner.

The tracking ability can be extremely accurate, particularly in dense, urban areas, as the AirTag communicates with all nearby Apple devices to triangulate its position. It then transmits its approximate location through the manufacturer’s Find My network.

Even before Apple released the device on the market, safety experts raised concerns that the small devices could be hidden in other people’s belongings, such as purses, in the linings of coats and inside of, or under, cars. The only indication that the target may know they are being tracked is if they are on the Apple network and get a notice that there is an AirTag device transmitting nearby.

According to similar Apple AirTag lawsuits filed mostly by women who have been stalked using the devices, Apple cannot help them pin down the exact location of a specific AirTag in such a way that could help them find it in a purse or car. When police are asked to help, they are also often not able to find the device, particularly when hidden in vehicles.

Additionally, many individuals say they have been told by the company that it cannot deactivate the devices or determine who they belong to, leaving people knowing they are being stalked but able to do little about it. Lawsuits claim that between 2021 and 2024, Apple received more than 40,000 reports of suspicious AirTag tracking, averaging about 1,000 reports per month.

Apple AirTag Stalking Allegations

The anonymous woman who filed the lawsuit claims an AirTag was taped to a magnet which was then taped to the bottom of her vehicle, where it could not be seen, by a former romantic partner.

Doe indicates that, despite having an iPhone, she never received a notification that an unauthorized device was tracking her vehicle. Before the AirTag was discovered, the lawsuit alleges her stalker was able to track her movements and knew when she would be at certain locations.

She claims this resulted in the stalker destroying her property and directing verbal and written threats at her, and argues this is evidence that Apple still has not adequately addressed the problems with its AirTag devices.

According to the lawsuit, Doe only discovered the AirTag by accident while looking under her car for a totally unrelated reason. She reported the incidents to police in March 2026, and her stalker was charged with stalking while using a GPS device, which is a violation of Oregon law. The AirTag stalker was arrested and is now under a restraining order.

Lack of AirTag Anti-Stalking Features

Before the AirTag was released on the market in 2021, numerous warnings were made to the company from technology experts, journalists and domestic violence advocates that the tracking device would be a gift to stalkers and could endanger people’s lives.

Apple included what critics say were insignificant anti-stalking features, which included an audible alert that only sounds after three days of separation from the owner’s iPhone. However, in many cases, lawsuits have claimed those being stalked either never heard the alert or couldn’t find the device as the alert sounded, raising their anxiety even higher knowing it was there but could not be found or turned off.

“These measures were woefully inadequate. Three days without an alert gives a stalker more than enough time to track a victim’s patterns, home address, workplace, and daily routine. Moreover, approximately half of all smartphone users in the United States use Android devices. At launch, these users had absolutely no way to detect an AirTag being used to track them.”

– Jane TB Doe v. Apple Inc.

As a result of the experience, Doe indicates she suffered “significant physical, emotional, and psychological harm, including but not limited to anxiety, fear, hypervigilance, disruption of daily life, and economic losses.”

In addition to compensatory damages, the lawsuit calls for injunctive relief against Apple, requesting the court force the manufacturer to stop selling AirTags without adequate anti-stalking safeguards.

Apple AirTag Lawsuits

Doe’s complaint is one of a growing number of Apple AirTag lawsuits brought in federal courts nationwide. A motion has been filed with the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) seeking the creation of an Apple AirTag MDL, or multidistrict litigation. This would place all federal claims before one U.S. District Judge for coordinated discovery and pretrial proceedings. Apple has opposed consolidation.

As the litigation continues to expand, Apple AirTag lawyers continue investigating potential claims nationwide involving allegations that tracking devices were improperly used for:

• Stalking
• Harassment
• Domestic violence
• Other criminal activity

Potential claims are being handled on a contingency fee basis, with no upfront legal fees or expenses. Attorneys are only paid if they obtain compensation for the individual.

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