Skip to content 
A Massachusetts woman has filed a federal lawsuit against Apple, alleging that her former partner secretly used AirTags to track her movements for months while her iPhone failed to warn her that she was being monitored.
The plaintiff filed the complaint on October 7, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. She accuses Apple of negligence and defective product design, arguing that its tracking devices lacked adequate safeguards against stalking.
The lawsuit describes a series of incidents involving AirTags allegedly hidden in her five-year-old son’s belongings and her vehicle.
Woman Says Former Partner Used AirTag to Monitor Her at a Mall
According to the complaint, the plaintiff shares custody responsibilities for her young son with a former romantic partner who allegedly began using AirTags to monitor her whereabouts as early as summer 2025.
On January 9, 2026, plaintiff was visiting a local shopping mall with her son when her former partner allegedly used an AirTag hidden among the child’s belongings to determine her location.
The complaint says he attempted to control her movements, telling her she couldn’t leave the mall or take their son home with her.
A few days later, plaintiff discovered an AirTag in her son’s pocket and removed its battery.
Her former partner allegedly responded by accusing her of damaging the device and threatening legal action. He also sent her text messages and screenshots showing AirTag location information, which plaintiff says demonstrated that he had been monitoring her movements.
The lawsuit alleges that the tracking was part of a longer pattern of stalking and controlling behavior.
AirTag Also Found Hidden in Woman’s Vehicle
Plaintiff believes her former partner may have used as many as four AirTags to follow her movements.
She eventually located two devices and turned them over to local police. One was discovered inside the left rear passenger door handle of her vehicle.
Despite using an iPhone, plaintiff says she never received a notification warning that an unfamiliar AirTag was traveling with her. Instead, she discovered the device in her vehicle after hearing it make a sound.
The alleged tracking left plaintiff fearful for her safety and caused significant emotional distress, including worsening symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to the complaint.
She argues that Apple’s safety features failed to provide the warnings she needed to recognize and stop the unwanted surveillance sooner.
Were You Stalked By Someone Using an Apple AirTag?
Apple faces federal lawsuits from people who say its tracking devices were used to monitor their movements without permission. Some survivors report physical injuries, emotional distress, financial losses or other harm.
Learn more about the litigation, who may qualify to file a claim and what legal options may be available.
Lawsuit Challenges Apple’s AirTag Safety Features
AirTags are designed to help people find misplaced belongings using Apple’s Find My network. But their small size also makes them easy to conceal in clothing, bags and vehicles.
The lawsuit alleges that Apple knew about the potential for stalking before introducing AirTags in 2021 but failed to implement adequate protections.
The complaint cites more than 40,000 reports of unwanted AirTag tracking allegedly received by Apple between April 2021 and April 2024. That figure represents reported incidents, not necessarily independently verified cases of stalking.
Apple has introduced several safety updates, including unwanted-tracking alerts for iPhone and Android users. However, plaintiffs in the Apple Air Tag stalking lawsuit litigation contend that the safeguards were insufficient to protect them from being monitored without their knowledge.
Apple Air Tag lawsuit involves claims of negligence, defective product design and alleged violations of California privacy and consumer protection laws.
The Massachusetts plaintiff is seeking financial damages and court-ordered relief addressing the alleged safety problems.
New Lawsuit Follows Federal AirTag Litigation Consolidation
The complaint was filed just five days after a federal judicial panel brought 17 Apple AirTag lawsuits together in the Northern District of California.
The coordinated proceedings, known as multidistrict litigation (MDL No. 3199), are being overseen by U.S. District Judge Noël Wise.
The lawsuits share allegations that Apple failed to adequately protect people from having its tracking devices used against them.
The cases also highlight how unwanted location tracking can become part of a broader pattern of domestic violence, harassment and coercive control.
For plaintiffs like the Massachusetts mom, the central issue is not simply that someone allegedly knew where she was. It’s that the person she says was stalking her could use an everyday consumer device to monitor her movements while she remained unaware of its presence.
