People's Justice

MDL 3199 · U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

AirTag stalking lawsuit: who may qualify and what comes next

If someone hid an Apple AirTag to track you and you were harmed, you may be able to file a claim. Federal cases against Apple are now grouped in one court.

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Updated 20 sources

This may apply to you if

  • Someone hid an AirTag in your things, your car or your child's things and used it to track you.
  • You were harmed by the stalking, such as emotional distress, lost pay or other costs.
  • You can share what you know, such as alerts, the tag, police reports or court papers.

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The process

What happens next

  1. 01

    You answer a few questions

    About two minutes. Nothing is sent until you agree on the last step and press submit.

  2. 02

    A lawyer looks at it

    A lawyer at the firm reads your answers and checks them against the current case criteria.

  3. 03

    The firm decides and gets in touch

    If the firm takes your case, you get the terms in writing to read before you sign. You can always say no.

Legal case files and documents on a desk (photo illustration)
Photo illustration

The short answer

Who may be able to file an AirTag stalking claim?
People tracked by an AirTag that someone else hid, who were harmed by the stalking, may be able to file. The tag may have been in a bag, a car or a child's things. [1]
What is happening in the AirTag cases now?
On October 2, 2026, a panel of federal judges sent the cases to one judge in Northern California. Each person still has their own case. [1]
Has Apple agreed to pay people?
Apple told the court it settled 20 cases in two months, but it did not say for how much. No one has announced what any person got or will get. [2]
What does it cost to talk to a lawyer?
A lawyer's fee may be a share of any money you recover. Ethics rules call for that deal to be in writing and signed by you. [18]

Who qualifies

Do you qualify?

  • Someone hid an AirTag in your things, your car or your child's things and used it to track you.
  • You were harmed by the stalking, such as emotional distress, lost pay or other costs.
  • You can share what you know, such as alerts, the tag, police reports or court papers.
Check eligibility

What the public record says

These are cited sources. Their inclusion does not imply that they endorse People’s Justice or reviewed this page.

Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (Chair Karen K. Caldwell) · United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation · Panel that ordered centralization of MDL No. 3199

Finding: The Panel found the AirTag stalking actions share common questions of fact about what Apple knew, its safeguards and safer alternative designs, and centralized them before Judge Noël Wise in the Northern District of California.

JPML Transfer Order, In re Apple AirTag Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3199 (Oct. 2, 2026) (opens in a new tab) · Oct 2, 2026 · Checked Oct 5, 2026

Judge Vince Chhabria · U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California · U.S. District Judge, Northern District of California, presiding in Hughes v. Apple

Finding: At the pleading stage, the court held that the stalkers' conduct was not a superseding cause that cut off Apple's liability entirely, and that the extent to which alleged AirTag defects caused each injury is a fact-bound question for later stages.

Hughes v. Apple, Inc., No. 3:22-cv-07668-VC (N.D. Cal.), Order Granting in Part and Denying in Part Motion to Dismiss, Dkt. 98 (Nov. 18, 2024) (opens in a new tab) · Nov 18, 2024 · Checked Oct 5, 2026

Judge Vince Chhabria · U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California · U.S. District Judge, Northern District of California, presiding in Hughes v. Apple

Finding: The court denied the motion for class certification in Hughes v. Apple and set a conference on whether the individual cases should be severed.

Hughes v. Apple, Inc., No. 3:22-cv-07668-VC (N.D. Cal.), Order Denying Motion for Class Certification, Dkt. 287 (Mar. 9, 2026), filed as Ex. 2 to JPML motion (opens in a new tab) · Mar 9, 2026 · Checked Oct 5, 2026

Supreme Court of the United States · Court deciding Crown, Cork & Seal Co. v. Parker

Finding: Once a class action tolls the statute of limitations, it remains tolled for putative class members until class certification is denied; class members may then file their own suits or intervene.

Crown, Cork & Seal Co. v. Parker, 462 U.S. 345 (1983) (opens in a new tab) · Jun 13, 1983 · Checked Oct 5, 2026

Office on Violence Against Women · U.S. Department of Justice · U.S. Department of Justice component that publishes stalking guidance and funds SPARC

Finding: OVW defines stalking as a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for safety or suffer substantial emotional distress, and lists victim resources including the National Center for Victims of Crime.

U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women: Stalking (opens in a new tab) · Nov 7, 2023 · Checked Oct 5, 2026

The evidence and its limits

Internet Engineering Task Force, Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers working group (authors from Swarthmore College, the National Network to End Domestic Violence and Nokia) · 2026

DULT Threat Model (draft-ietf-dult-threat-model-05)

Design:
Other study design
Participants:
Not a participant study; a technical threat analysis with no enrolled people.
Finding:
Item-tracking tags have legitimate uses but are susceptible to misuse for stalking and abuse; detection protocols need design requirements that account for this.
Main limitation
A work-in-progress Internet-Draft, not a final standard. It does not measure how often AirTags are misused, and it does not show that any product design caused a particular person's harm.

Read the source: DULT Threat Model (draft-ietf-dult-threat-model-05) (opens in a new tab) · Checked Oct 5, 2026

What this stage means for you

A panel of federal judges grouped the cases before one judge in October 2026. Each person's claim is still their own.

What rules a case out

Not covered by this case

  • This guide does not cover criminal charges or protective orders against the person who tracked you; police, courts and advocates handle those.
  • Owning an AirTag or finding one is not the claim; these cases are about harm from being stalked with a hidden tag.

What it costs

Lawyer fees and case costs
Ask for written terms.

A contingent fee deal must be in a signed writing that states the percentage, which expenses come out, whether before or after the fee, and any costs you owe even if you lose.

Source: ABA Model Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5: Fees · as of Oct 5, 2026

Copies of medical or counseling records
Reasonable copy and mailing costs may apply.

Providers may not charge a search or retrieval fee or refuse copies over unpaid bills. Psychotherapy notes are not part of the access right.

Source: HHS: Your Medical Records · as of Oct 5, 2026

National Domestic Violence Hotline
Free

Call 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788. The hotline says it is confidential and open 24/7.

Source: National Domestic Violence Hotline (thehotline.org) · as of Oct 5, 2026

What happens step by step

  1. Tell a lawyer what happened

    Expect questions about the tag, any alerts, when it happened, and how it affected you.

    Source: Apple Inc.'s Memorandum in Opposition to Transfer, MDL No. 3199, Doc. 23 (Aug. 25, 2026) · as of Oct 5, 2026

  2. Ask about court and deadline

    Ask whether your case could join MDL 3199 or belongs in a state court, and whether the Hughes class case paused your deadline.

    Source: JPML Transfer Order, In re Apple AirTag Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3199 (Oct. 2, 2026) · as of Oct 5, 2026

  3. Get the terms in writing

    Read the fee, cost and privacy terms before you sign anything.

    Source: ABA Model Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5: Fees · as of Oct 5, 2026

Who may qualify?

You may be able to file a claim if someone hid an Apple AirTag to track you and the stalking harmed you. The tag may have been in your bag, your car or your child's things. In many of these cases, the person who did it was an abuser or a former partner. A lawyer can tell you whether your facts fit.

The federal cases share one main claim. Each person says Apple released the AirTag without enough safety features to stop its use for stalking. Each also says the stalking caused them serious harm.

The harm described in these cases includes emotional distress and money losses, such as lost income. How long the tracking lasted differs from case to case. One person in the earlier case said she did not find the tag for more than two months.

Some people in these cases never learned who tracked them, according to Apple's filing. Others never found the tag itself. A lawyer can look at what proof you do have.

What is happening in the case right now?

On October 2, 2026, a panel of federal judges grouped the federal AirTag cases. The panel sent them to Judge Noël Wise in the Northern District of California. This kind of group is called an MDL (one judge handles the shared early work for many cases). Each person's case stays their own.

The group is MDL 3199. When the panel ruled, it listed 17 cases in 13 federal districts, plus 12 related cases that may be added. The panel found the cases share key questions. These include what Apple knew about stalking risk when it released the AirTag, and whether safer designs were possible. They also include how Apple responded to reports of stalking.

A class action is one case brought for a whole group of people. Many of these cases began in a proposed class action, Hughes v. Apple, filed in December 2022. On March 9, 2026, Judge Vince Chhabria denied the request to treat it as a class. The people in it then went forward with their own cases.

Apple asked the panel not to group the cases. It argued that each person's facts are too different. The panel disagreed and said the AirTag's design will be a central question in each case.

The panel noted that Apple has settled some cases. It said those talks slowed or stalled after the request to group the cases was filed. The people suing told the panel that Apple has received tens of thousands of stalking complaints about the AirTag. That is their statement, not a finding by the court.

Before the grouping, one older case had a trial date of May 11, 2027. No one has announced how the grouping affects that date.

What could I get?

No one has announced how much any person will get. Apple told the panel in August 2026 that it had settled 20 cases in the prior two months. Its filing did not give amounts. Past results don't guarantee a similar outcome.

People in these cases ask for money for emotional harm and for money losses, such as lost pay. What each person could recover depends on their own facts. Apple says those facts include whether its safety features worked and how much blame falls on the person who did the tracking.

With a fee based on a share of what you recover, the fee and agreed case costs come out of that money. Ask how the lawyer's percentage is figured, and whether costs come out before or after the fee. No one has announced when any payments might be made.

What does it cost to get help?

Ask whether there is any charge to review your case before you agree to anything. If a lawyer takes your case for a share of any money you recover, the ABA's model ethics rule calls for the deal to be in writing and signed by you. It should also say what costs you might owe even if you do not win.

Getting copies of your own medical or counseling records may come with a copy fee. Federal health privacy guidance says a provider can charge reasonable costs for copying and mailing. It cannot charge a fee for searching for or retrieving your records. It also cannot refuse copies because you have unpaid bills.

Help from the National Domestic Violence Hotline does not cost anything. The hotline says its service is free, confidential and open 24/7.

Is there a deadline?

Yes. Deadlines depend on your state and your situation. A lawyer can tell you yours and check whether the earlier class action paused the clock for you.

Courts call a pause in a deadline tolling (stopping the clock for a time). In a 1974 case, the U.S. Supreme Court held that filing a federal class action pauses the deadline for people in the proposed class. In a 1983 case, it said the pause lasts until the court denies class status. After that, people may file their own cases.

The Hughes class request was denied on March 9, 2026. Whether that earlier case paused your deadline, and for how long, can depend on your state and the kind of claim you have. An attorney can check whether tolling applies after the class denial.

Do not assume a deadline has passed before a lawyer checks. The rules differ by state and by the kind of claim.

What should I do today?

Your safety comes first. If you are in danger now, call the police. For safety planning, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788.

Before you turn off or remove a tracker, think about your safety. Apple's own guide says to consider the effects on your safety and privacy before making changes. A local advocate can help you plan.

SPARC, a stalking resource center funded by the U.S. Justice Department, does not give direct help to survivors. It points people to local domestic violence and victim service programs, VictimConnect or the hotline. The Justice Department also lists the National Center for Victims of Crime at 855-484-2846.

What records and proof can help?

Keep whatever proof you safely can. Apple's guide says to take a screenshot of the item and owner information shown on your phone. On an iPhone, past alerts are in the Find My app under Items Detected With You. Note the date you first saw an alert or heard a sound.

If you have the AirTag, tell the police and your lawyer. Apple says police can work with Apple to request information about the item. You may need to give them the AirTag and its serial number. Apple has said it can share the owner's account details with police in response to a subpoena (a legal demand for records) or a valid request.

Police reports and protective orders can help show what happened. A protective order is a court order that can bar someone from contacting you or going to places like your home, work or school. Keep copies, plus any case or report numbers.

Keep a simple log of each contact or incident, with dates. Save texts, emails, photos and social media posts as evidence. SPARC has sample stalking logs on its website.

Records of how this affected you can matter too. Apple's filing says family, doctors and employers may give evidence about emotional distress and lost income. You can ask your providers for copies of your records.

What happens after I check?

When you talk with a lawyer, expect questions about what happened, when, and what proof you have. Ask which court your case would be in and what deadline applies. Get the fee terms in writing before you sign anything.

The panel's order treats other related federal cases as possible additions to the group. Some AirTag cases are also in California state courts. Your lawyer can explain where your case would be filed.

What safety features has Apple added, and when?

Apple released the AirTag in April 2021. Apple says iPhones and iPads with iOS 14.5 or later can show alerts when an unknown AirTag is moving with you. An AirTag that has been away from its owner for a while makes a sound when it is moved.

On February 10, 2022, Apple said it would add a setup message saying AirTag is meant to track your own belongings. It also said it would warn people sooner and use louder tones. It described a feature to help people find an unknown AirTag more precisely.

On May 2, 2023, Apple and Google proposed an industry standard so tracker alerts would work across iPhone and Android. They submitted it to the Internet Engineering Task Force, a standards group. On May 13, 2024, the alerts arrived in iOS 17.5 and on Android 6.0 or later.

That standards work is still in draft form. As of October 5, 2026, the group had not published a final standard. Apple says Android users with older software can use the Tracker Detect app.

The people suing say these steps came slowly or fell short. Their filings point to alerts that could take hours or days and to sounds they say were too quiet. These are claims that Apple disputes.

What is the evidence that the AirTag played a part?

No court has decided whether the AirTag's design caused anyone's harm. Apple disputes the claims and calls its safety features industry-leading. The cases will turn on each person's facts and on proof about the design.

In 2024, Judge Chhabria let some claims in the Hughes case go forward. He wrote that the stalkers' conduct contributed to the harm. But he said that conduct did not, by itself, cut off Apple's possible responsibility at that early stage.

He said how much the AirTag's design caused each person's harm is a fact question for later. He also noted that no one knows how long a hidden AirTag tracked someone before the safety features worked.

A technical draft from the standards group says tracking tags have many proper uses but can be misused for stalking and abuse. One of its authors works at the National Network to End Domestic Violence. The draft is a work in progress, and it does not measure how often this happens.

Questions people ask

I found an AirTag but never got an alert on my phone. Can I still ask about a claim?

Yes, you can still ask, but the facts matter. The AirTag JPML order says plaintiffs allege AirTags were hidden in personal belongings, cars, or a child's belongings and that inadequate safety features allowed tracking. It does not decide any one person's eligibility or deadline.

Source: JPML Transfer Order, Apple AirTag MDL No. 3199 · as of Oct 7, 2026

I got an alert but did not understand it at first. Does that hurt my claim?

Not necessarily. In the earlier case, two people said they got an alert but did not understand it at first. The judge said this could point to an unclear message and let one woman's claim go forward at that stage.

Source: Hughes v. Apple motion-to-dismiss order · as of Oct 7, 2026

I have an Android phone. Does that matter?

It can matter to the facts. Apple says Android users with Android 6.0 or later have Google unwanted-tracking detection, and users with earlier operating systems can update or use Tracker Detect. A lawyer can compare your device, alerts, and records with the claim being reviewed.

Source: Apple Support: Detect unwanted trackers · as of Oct 7, 2026

The AirTag was put in my child's things. Can I still have a claim?

Yes, you can ask, but the facts and deadline matter. The AirTag JPML order says each plaintiff alleges someone hid one or more AirTags in personal belongings, a car, or a child's personal belongings. The order does not decide any one person's eligibility.

Source: JPML Transfer Order, Apple AirTag MDL No. 3199 · as of Oct 7, 2026

Will my name be public if I file?

It depends on the court and the facts. The AirTag JPML order includes actions captioned with Doe names, but that does not decide privacy for every person who files. A lawyer can explain pseudonym and sealing options before filing.

Source: JPML Transfer Order, Apple AirTag MDL No. 3199 · as of Oct 7, 2026

Can I also take action against the person who tracked me?

Maybe. The AirTag JPML order does not decide claims against the person who tracked you. The order concerns centralized allegations against Apple about AirTag safety features and misuse for stalking, and a lawyer can explain separate options involving the tracker.

Source: JPML Transfer Order, Apple AirTag MDL No. 3199 · as of Oct 7, 2026

What should I do if I find an unknown AirTag moving with me?

If you feel unsafe, move to a safe place before handling the tracker. Apple says users can view tracker information and follow instructions to disable an unwanted tracker after an alert. Consider saving screenshots, the serial number, and the date before changing anything.

Source: Apple Support: Detect unwanted trackers · as of Oct 7, 2026

Is there an AirTag stalking MDL now?

Yes. As of October 7, 2026, the JPML has centralized Apple AirTag cases in the Northern District of California for coordinated or consolidated pretrial proceedings. The order does not decide whether Apple is liable or whether any person has a valid claim.

Source: JPML Transfer Order, Apple AirTag MDL No. 3199 · as of Oct 7, 2026

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Sources

  1. JPML Transfer Order, In re Apple AirTag Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3199 (Oct. 2, 2026)JPML transfer order, MDL 3199 · court
  2. Apple Inc.'s Memorandum in Opposition to Transfer, MDL No. 3199, Doc. 23 (Aug. 25, 2026)Apple's JPML opposition brief · court
  3. Hughes v. Apple, Inc., No. 3:22-cv-07668-VC (N.D. Cal.), Order Denying Motion for Class Certification, Dkt. 287 (Mar. 9, 2026), filed as Ex. 2 to JPML motionHughes order denying class certification · court
  4. Hughes v. Apple, Inc., No. 3:22-cv-07668-VC (N.D. Cal.), Order Granting in Part and Denying in Part Motion to Dismiss, Dkt. 98 (Nov. 18, 2024)Hughes motion-to-dismiss order · court
  5. Memorandum in Support of Plaintiffs' Motion for Transfer, MDL No. 3199, Doc. 1-1 (Aug. 4, 2026)Plaintiffs' JPML motion · court
  6. Apple Personal Safety User Guide: Detect unwanted trackersApple Personal Safety guide
  7. Apple Newsroom: An update on AirTag and unwanted tracking (Feb. 10, 2022)Apple Newsroom, Feb. 2022
  8. Apple Newsroom: Apple, Google partner on an industry specification to address unwanted tracking (May 2, 2023)Apple Newsroom, May 2023
  9. Apple Newsroom: Apple and Google deliver support for unwanted tracking alerts in iOS and Android (May 13, 2024)Apple Newsroom, May 2024
  10. IETF Datatracker: draft-detecting-unwanted-location-trackers and DULT working group statusIETF DULT draft record
  11. IETF Internet-Draft: DULT Threat Model, draft-ietf-dult-threat-model-05 (Aug. 6, 2026)IETF DULT threat model draft
  12. National Domestic Violence Hotline (thehotline.org)National Domestic Violence Hotline
  13. Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center (SPARC)SPARC
  14. SPARC: What to do if you are being stalkedSPARC: what to do
  15. U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women: StalkingDOJ OVW: Stalking · regulator
  16. American Pipe & Construction Co. v. Utah, 414 U.S. 538 (1974)American Pipe v. Utah (1974) · regulator
  17. Crown, Cork & Seal Co. v. Parker, 462 U.S. 345 (1983)Crown, Cork & Seal v. Parker (1983) · regulator
  18. ABA Model Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5: FeesABA Model Rule 1.5
  19. S.D.N.Y. Pro Se FAQ: How long do I have to file my complaint (statute of limitations)?SDNY: filing time limits · court
  20. HHS: Your Medical RecordsHHS: Your Medical Records · regulator

Checked against 12 primary sources by People's Justice editors · Updated

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