Apple has decided to settle a long-standing lawsuit by agreeing to pay out a significant $95 million.The case centers around claims that its popular voice assistant, Siri, has been recording users’ private conversations without their consent.
Many iPhone users alleged that Apple’s Siri accidentally activated and captured their personal chats, later sharing this data with third parties like advertisers.
These concerns arose because Siri reacts to trigger phrases such as ‘Hey, Siri’, leading to fears of unauthorized recordings.
The lawsuit, initially filed five years ago, argued that Apple had breached user trust by allowing Siri to listen in on conversations without proper authorization.Two of the plaintiffs in the case shared examples of noticing targeted ads after discussing topics like Air Jordans and Olive Garden.
A third plaintiff mentioned seeing ads for a surgical procedure he believed he had only discussed with his doctor in private.
At the heart of the complaint is the allegation that Siri was activated unintentionally, collecting private information through ‘unintended Siri activation’.
Some users have complained their devices have been recording their conversationsGetty Images
This week, a preliminary settlement was filed in federal court in Oakland, California. Apple has agreed to the $95 million settlement, which will compensate users who believe their private conversations were wrongfully recorded.In the proposed settlement, Apple firmly denies any misconduct. A statement from the company reads, “Apple has at all times denied and continues to deny any and all alleged wrongdoing and liability.”
The settlement, still awaiting formal approval by US District Judge Jeffrey White, would allow affected users in the US to claim up to $20 per eligible device, including iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches.
The lawsuit alleges the conversations were recorded when Siri was triggered unintentionallyJakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The settlement applies to devices during a class period spanning September 17, 2014, to December 31, 2024.This period coincides with Siri’s incorporation of the ‘Hey, Siri’ feature.
Tens of millions of Apple users who suspect unauthorized Siri recordings could be eligible for compensation.
Apple will also need to verify that any private conversations captured through Siri have been deleted.
The company is required to provide clearer guidelines on how user voice data is handled moving forward.
The settlement terms also allow the plaintiffs’ legal teams to claim approximately $28.5 million in legal fees and $1.1 million in expenses from the total settlement amount.
The Apple store in Palo Alto, CaliforniaTayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images
Meanwhile, a separate lawsuit against Google over privacy concerns with its Voice Assistant remains pending in San Jose, California.Interestingly, the same legal teams representing plaintiffs in the Apple case are involved in the Google lawsuit.
Apple has yet to release an official statement regarding the settlement, leaving many waiting for further updates.
