A Judge Rules That Massive Negligence Lawsuit Against Apple Can Proceed

(PatriotPostNews.com) – A lawsuit accusing Apple of enabling criminal stalking through some of its products is allowed to move forward, a California judge has ruled.

On March 15, a federal judge rejected a petition to dismiss a case brought against the tech giant, alleging that the company’s AirTags product has seriously failed to live up to its promise of being “stalker proof.” The product costs $29 per piece and was first introduced by the company in 2021.

Vince Chhabria, a federal district judge, ruled in favor of five California residents when he refused to outright dismiss claims specifically related to risk-benefit products and negligence liability. Claims brought by Àine O’Neill, Hollye Humphreys, and John Kirkman were not dismissed, and those brought by Pamela Luan and Roger Hembd were dismissed, but with an opportunity to amend the claims.

Chhabria said that Hembd’s claims were not “sufficiently clear” to indicate Apple had breached his privacy and that Luan’s accusations relating to stalking were “too vague.” The judge explained that he did not dismiss the class-action lawsuit based on the tech company’s motion because, although Apple “may ultimately be right” about having followed state law, the decision “cannot be made” so early in the case.

He added that while the claims that AirTags led to several instances of stalking and failed to ensure proper safety for users to “survive” the motion to dismiss, the lack of information put forth at this time makes it “a close question.”

In October 2023, up to 38 people who reside in the United States and Canada filed a claim against Apple. They alleged that the tech giant’s AirTags—small devices that can be attached to one’s belongings and tracked with Apple technology like iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers—have been “consistently” used for stalking.

The case was first filed as a complaint in December 2022 but has since become a much larger legal fight that alleges the lack of safety features in AirTags has repeatedly led to cases of stalking and violence.