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Apple AirTag Stalking Has Led to Murder, Amended Class-Action Lawsuit Says (www.pcmag.com)
submitted 1 year ago by ZeroCool@feddit.ch to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[-] fartsparkles@sh.itjust.works 76 points 1 year ago

GPS and VHF trackers have been used to stalk people for way longer than AirTags and have zero safeguarding features. And Tile, at least last time I used one, had zero safeguarding features and are pretty just exactly the same product as AirTags.

This all seems a bit frivolous. Are gun makers responsible when their products are misused to murder? Or knife makers?

Seems funny that Apple are the ones getting sued and not the tools of destruction used to end life. It’s like suing the car manufacturer of the car the murderer used to get to the scene.

[-] echo64@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Here's the thing about all this. Yes, tech existed before airtags. But apple made the tech incredibly accurate, incredibly cheap, and marketed the hell out of it.

On top of that, the protection features have been massively lacking, especially around people who do not use iPhones.When they first came out, a few companies did tests on their employees around air tags. They would slip air tags into their car. The end result was that some people noticed, especially iPhone users. Many did not.

Undoubtedly, there are people dead today who would be alive if airtags didn't exist or if apple had done more.

And yes, we do hold companies up to some level of responsibility. Of course we do.

An edit to say I'm disheartened that so many people are willing to say it's okay, if apple do this. The main complaint is that other tiny companies also make GPS trackers so why should apple be punished for making something that has lead to abuse and death.

We should be collectively holding major corporations to task, not standing up for corporations right to cause harm. Even if they make your favourite phone.

[-] dependencyInjection@sh.itjust.works 16 points 1 year ago

Undoubtedly, there are people dead today who would be alive if hammers didn’t exist or if manufacturers had made them softer.

Undoubtedly, there are people dead today who would be alive if paracetamol didn’t exist or if chemists had done more.

Undoubtedly, there are people dead today who would be alive if cars didn’t exist or if the auto industry didn’t lie for years about the dangers of leaded fuel.

[-] TenderfootGungi@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

But they have added protection features, unlike virtually every other option. Yet they are the ones being sued? It does not seem fair.

[-] echo64@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Their protection features did not go nearly far enough and were far too restricted to only apple users. I don't see why apple shouldn't have to be punished for causing harm just because others are too small to notice.

[-] stardust@lemmy.ca -3 points 1 year ago

Yeah, this type of tech is way more accessible than it was before, which isn't the problem. It's that Apple has not done enough to provide safety to users from airtags if they aren't using an Apple product. This isn't one of those techs that should be gated behind a walled garden because of the potential consequences to unsuspecting targets.

Apple needs to break from their usual walled garden approach when it comes to their tracking technology.

[-] dpkonofa@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

Ok…and what about the trackers you can buy on Amazon for less than $20 that don’t tell anyone that they’re tracking except the stalker? Do those next. Explain how Apple is at fault for that. I’m almost there.

[-] whynotzoidberg@lemmy.world -4 points 1 year ago

Would the problem be solvable by saying Google needs to break from their approach (do nothing, in this case), and work with Apple to incorporate Apple’s tech into Android by default?

Just trying to think through the finger pointing that happens as we reel in tech.

[-] paintbucketholder@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Google already did this.

However, the onus to mitigate problems created by one company shouldn't be their on competitors.

Apple launched AirTags alone, leveraging its massive Find My network, in order to have an immense advantage in the market, and this helped Apple rake in millions and millions of dollars.

It could have coordinated with Google even before the AirTag launch, but this would have probably resulted in missing out on millions in profits. So Apple chose profits over mitigating ethical and moral concerns, and only fixed problems a long time after it started selling the product to customers.

[-] whynotzoidberg@lemmy.world -1 points 1 year ago

You’re making some big assumptions. That’s ok, though.

I appreciate the link.

I can sleep knowing Android friends have built-in safety measures, just as I do on an iPhone.

[-] DreadPotato@sopuli.xyz 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Are gun makers responsible when their products are misused to murder?

It's not really misuse, the intended purpose of a gun is to kill someone/something, that's literally what they are made for.

[-] fartsparkles@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Kinda similar to AirTags but with tracking things.

[-] wahming@monyet.cc 47 points 1 year ago

From when this was posted yesterday:

It's an interesting question. How much focus should be on apple for providing a technology with a valid use case, as opposed to the systemic issue of the authorities ignoring stalkers and harassers?

Keep in mind that each airtag has a direct link to the identity of the stalker themself. It would take near zero effort for the authorities to actually prosecute these assholes. Instead, the cases are ignored and the stalkers emboldened, until the victims have to seek refuge in any way they can.

[-] oDDmON@lemmy.world 22 points 1 year ago

…the amended class-action lawsuit is demanding a US court force Apple to pay damages and do more to cease its “unlawful, unfair and/or fraudulent practices” with regards to AirTags.

Unlawful? Is there a statute against BT I missed?

Unfair? They’re not the only tracker out there.

Fraudulent? If anything, they’re working better than advertised.

‘S gonna be fun watching this one.

[-] Jocker@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 year ago

Apple created a good product, somebody misused it, sue apple.. Nice!

I would rather sue apple for software locking reparability or removing charger or even iphone15 having usb2 or 60Hz!

this post was submitted on 14 Oct 2023
171 points (88.7% liked)

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