Apple is facing over 30 lawsuits from people who claim to have been stalked using Apple AirTags. The filings come after an AirTag lawsuit from 2022 (Hughes v. Apple) failed to get class certification. In each filing, Apple is accused of releasing the ‌AirTag‌ while being aware that it could be "purchased and used by abusive, dangerous individuals, to track, coerce, control, and otherwise endanger and abuse innocent victims." Further, the lawsuits say that Apple knew adequate safeguards were not in place when the ‌AirTag‌ launched in 2021, and Apple is aware that "AirTags remain a profound risk" to people like the plaintiffs. Apple reportedly received more than 40,000 stalking reports between April 2021 and April 2024, and Apple internal documents sourced from the original lawsuit show the company knew its safeguards would only "deter as opposed to prevent malicious use." The company also acknowledged that it "should have consulted domestic abuse organizations on the unwanted tracking policy before shipping." Multiple news reports of AirTags being used for stalking are referenced, including cases that ended in murder. The lawsuits claim that AirTags "revolutionized the scope, breadth, and ease of location-based stalking." While there are other tracking options on the market, the ‌AirTag‌ uses the Find My network that leverages any nearby device to relay the ‌AirTag‌'s location back to its owner. Apple has put multiple anti-stalking measures in place, including cross-platform notifications that let potential stalking victims know that an unknown ‌AirTag‌ is following them, but the plaintiffs don't feel that Apple's protections are adequate. The lawsuit cites the 4-to-8-hour delay before a notification is received, and notes that originally, AirTags didn't send a notification to potential stalking victims until 72 hours had passed. One of the ways an ‌AirTag‌ alerts users to its presence is by playing a sound, but the speaker can be removed. Sellers on sites like eBay even offer modified silent AirTags. Each lawsuit includes the personal story of the plaintiff involved and all of whom claim to have been stalked using an ‌AirTag‌. Plaintiffs are seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages, attorney's fees, and an order preventing Apple from engaging in the unlawful business practices alleged in the filings. The judge overseeing the 2022 ‌AirTag‌ lawsuit denied class certification because of the difference in state laws and the individual nature of each stalking incident. The plaintiffs were advised to file individual lawsuits within 28 days of the class certification denial. Related Roundup: AirTag Tag: Apple Lawsuits Buyer's Guide: AirTag (Buy Now) This article, " Apple Faces Dozens of Lawsuits Over AirTag Stalking After Class Action Denied " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
Apple has quietly pushed the Mac mini entry price higher, as the once-standard $599 base model is no longer available on its U.S. online store. M4 Mac mini As of May 1, the $599 Mac mini configuration isn't available to order through Apple's primary online store. The 256GB model doesn't appear as a selectable option there. Higher-priced configurations now define the main lineup, with listed pricing starting at $799, though availability across configurations continues to fluctuate. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
Apple this week stopped offering a 256GB storage option for the Mac mini worldwide. As a result, the desktop computer now has a higher starting price. In the U.S., for example, the Mac mini now starts at $799 with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage, whereas it previously started at $599 with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. While the 512GB configuration always started at $799, customers who want a new Mac mini from Apple for $599 no longer have such an option. Mac mini models with the M4 Pro chip already had a minimum of 512GB of storage, so there are no pricing changes for those configurations. The base Mac mini with 256GB of storage had already been unavailable to order since last week, but it has now been removed from Apple's configurator entirely. We have reached out to Apple for comment and will update this story if we hear back. On an earnings call this week, Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged that Mac mini and Mac Studio supply is constrained , and he said it may take "several months" for Apple to achieve supply-demand balance. He said both of these Macs are "amazing platforms for AI and agentic tools," resulting in higher-than-expected demand. In March, Apple stopped offering the Mac Studio with 512GB of RAM . These changes to Mac mini and Mac Studio configurations are occurring amid a global memory chip shortage, driven by companies building out AI server facilities. Cook said Apple is expecting "significantly higher memory costs" in the current quarter, and tight availability of RAM is likely forcing Apple to make tough business decisions. Thanks, Spencer! Related Roundup: Mac mini Buyer's Guide: Mac Mini (Caution) Related Forum: Mac mini This article, " Apple Stops Selling Mac Mini With 256GB of Storage, Starting Price Rises to $799 " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
