Apple Inc. faced a legal setback as a judge rejected their bid to dismiss a lawsuit accusing their AirTag devices of aiding stalkers in tracking people. US District Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco ruled on Friday that three plaintiffs in the class-action case had valid claims of negligence and product liability, though he dismissed some others.

The lawsuit, filed by about three dozen individuals, claimed that Apple knew about the risks associated with AirTags and could be held responsible under California law for harm caused by their misuse.

In the upheld claims, the plaintiffs argued that AirTags lacked sufficient safety features, leading to injuries during stalking incidents. Judge Chhabria recognized these concerns, stating that Apple's argument regarding the design of AirTag safety measures couldn't be definitively decided at this early stage.

Apple had argued that it had implemented cutting-edge safety measures in AirTags and shouldn't be liable for misuse. However, the judge's decision allows the three plaintiffs to move forward with their claims.

The lawsuit accused Apple of negligently releasing AirTags despite warnings from advocacy groups that the product could be exploited for surveillance. It pointed out the low $29 price, making it accessible to stalkers and abusers.

Although Apple had introduced features to notify users if they were being tracked by an AirTag, the lawsuit argued that these measures were insufficient to prevent misuse.

Similar concerns have been raised against Tile Inc., alleging that its tracking devices connected to Amazon.com Inc.'s Bluetooth network lack proper safeguards against stalking.

The case is known as Hughes v. Apple, Inc., 3:22-cv-07668, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California (San Francisco).

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