Amazon, Tile class action alleges product helps stalkers track victims

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Amazon class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: Plaintiffs Shannon Ireland-Gordy and Stephanie Ireland Gordy have filed a class action lawsuit against Tile Inc., Life360 Inc., and Amazon.com Inc.
• Why: They claim they were tracked by a stalker with a Tile Tracker and that their lives were disrupted as a result.
• Where: The Tile stalker class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.

Tile Inc., its parent company Life360 Inc., and Amazon.com Inc. are facing a class action lawsuit that alleges the Tile Tracker product helps stalkers track their victims.

The Tile Tracker is a physical device that can be attached to objects so that the owner can track the item’s location. The physical tracker device is synched to an app on the owner’s smartphone.

The technology relies on bluetooth technology for nearby items and a “crowd GPS” feature for items located more than 100 feet from the owner’s smartphone, the Amazon class action lawsuit explains.

With “crowd GPS,” if a tracker is reported as lost, a nearby smartphone with a Tile app can send the Tile Tracker’s owner an update with its location.

Tile reportedly partnered with Amazon in 2021, and the tracking device company has since taken advantage of Sidewalk, Amazon’s location tracking program, by connecting with Bluetooth networks created by Amazon’s Echo home devices.

“The partnership allowed Tile to expand its ‘crowd GPS’ network exponentially,” making the device “vastly more effective” and “vastly more dangerous,” the Amazon class action lawsuit asserts. 

The Amazon class action lawsuit also notes that Tile has marketed its tracker as a way to monitor people’s locations, and points to ads on pornography websites and other “dubious outlets.”

Plaintiffs say they were victims of Tile stalking and are unable to live normal lives

Plaintiffs Shannon Ireland-Gordy and Stephanie Ireland Gordy of Texas claim they were stalked by Stephanie’s ex-girlfriend, who allegedly hid a Tile Tracker in Stephanie’s vehicle.

“Over the next several months, the stalker would mysteriously and unexpectedly appear at locations where [Shannon and Stephanie] were,” and quickly found the plaintiffs’ new residence after they moved even though they did not inform the stalker about the location, the Amazon class action lawsuit says.

Stephanie eventually discovered the Tile stalking tracker in her vehicle. A Tile customer service representative allegedly confirmed that the tracker was associated with her stalker’s email account. 

Stephanie reported the incident to the Houston police, but Tile failed to provide sufficient evidence to convict the alleged stalker, the Amazon class action lawsuit states.

The plaintiffs claim they continue to hide from the stalker and are unable to live normal lives due to the Tile tracking device.

They filed the Tile stalking class action on behalf of themselves and others who have been tracked, or who are at risk of being tracked, by a Tile tracker without their consent.

Apple has recently faced a class action lawsuit alleging its AirTag trackers can be used to stalk victims.

What do you think about the Tile stalking allegations? Join the discussion in the comments!

The plaintiffs are represented by Gillian L. Wade, Sara D. Avila, and Marc Castaneda of Milstein Jackson Fairchild & Wade LLP, and by David Slade, Brandon Haubert, and Jessica Hall of wh Law.

The Amazon class action lawsuit is Shannon Ireland-Gordy, et al. v. Tile Inc., et al., Case No. 3:23-cv-04119, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

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