MDL Sought for Apple Lawsuits Over AirTag Stalking Problems and Damages Caused By Unauthorized Tracking

Motion seeks to centralize all Apple AirTag stalking lawsuits before one federal judge for coordinated discovery and pretrial proceedings.

Individuals moving forward with Apple AirTag stalking lawsuits in various different federal courts nationwide have asked the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) to centralize and consolidate their claims, which all allege that Apple knowingly marketed the tracking devices without adequate safeguards that could have prevented misuse by stalkers and abusers.

The motion (PDF) was filed on August 4, seeking to establish an AirTag multidistrict litigation (MDL) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona before U.S. District Judge Diane Humetewa. Plaintiffs contend coordinated pretrial proceedings would eliminate duplicative discovery, avoid inconsistent rulings and improve efficiency as the number of lawsuits continues to grow.

According to the filing, there are already more than 20 individual Apple lawsuits over AirTag stalking problems pending in at least 17 federal districts, with additional cases expected to be filed. Many of the actions were severed after a federal judge denied class certification earlier this year in a proposed nationwide AirTag stalking class action, prompting individual victims to pursue personal injury claims instead.

AirTag Stalking Allegations

The Apple stalking lawsuits generally allege that AirTags were designed, manufactured and marketed without adequate safeguards to prevent the Bluetooth tracking devices from being misused by stalkers, abusive partners and other bad actors, despite receiving warnings about those risks before the product launched in April 2021.

Plaintiffs argue the lawsuits involve common factual questions about Apple’s knowledge of stalking risks, the adequacy of AirTag’s anti-stalking features and the operation of the company’s “Find My” network. They also raise questions about the timing of alerts, the feasibility of safer alternative designs and Apple’s response to thousands of reports that the devices were allegedly used to facilitate stalking.

The filing argues Apple continued marketing AirTags even after domestic violence organizations and technology experts warned the devices could be exploited to secretly monitor victims. The motion further contends Apple received more than 40,000 stalking-related complaints between 2021 and 2024, at times averaging more than 1,000 reports per month, yet relied on software updates and other measures individuals claim failed to adequately address the danger.

Many of the complaints allege AirTag notifications could take hours or even days before warning victims that an unknown tracker was traveling with them. They also argue Android users initially received far fewer protections than Apple users and allege the company failed to implement a number of alternative safety measures before releasing the product. These include faster alerts, stronger Android detection, remote disabling features and other design changes.

Apple AirTag Lawsuit MDL Motion

According to plaintiffs, the litigation involves common factual issues that make it well suited for multidistrict proceedings because nearly every case will require discovery into the same corporate documents, engineering records, internal communications, safety testing, marketing materials and company witnesses. 

The JPML will now decide whether to centralize the federal AirTag lawsuits before one judge. If the panel grants the request, the court will appoint leadership attorneys to coordinate discovery and other pretrial proceedings on behalf of all plaintiffs while allowing each individual lawsuit to remain separate.

Under the proposal, all current and future federal AirTag stalking lawsuits would be transferred to the District of Arizona, where Judge Humetewa is already overseeing related AirTag cases. Supporters of the motion argue her familiarity with the product and allegations would allow the litigation to move forward more efficiently than assigning the cases to a new court. 

If an Apple AirTag MDL is established, Judge Humetewa will likely work with lawyers involved in the cases to coordinate the exchange documents, depositions of corporate witnesses and other common legal issues that apply across cases. The court may also select a small group of representative lawsuits for early “bellwether” trials, which are intended to help both sides evaluate how juries respond to the evidence and often serve as a catalyst for broader Apple AirTag stalking settlement negotiations.

The proposed MDL would centralize discovery and other pretrial proceedings only. If the parties are unable to negotiate AirTag lawsuit payouts or otherwise resolve the litigation after common discovery is completed, each case could later be remanded to the federal district where it was originally filed for individual trial.

Apple AirTag Stalking Lawsuits

As the number of Apple AirTag stalking cases continues to grow, personal injury lawyers are investigating potential stalking claims nationwide for individuals who suffered any of the following due to the trackers:

• Stalking
• Harassment
• Domestic violence
• Other criminal conduct

Attorneys are investigating these claims on a contingency fee basis, which means there are no upfront legal fees or expenses. Payment only occurs if compensation is recovered on your behalf.

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