Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class-action lawsuit claiming Siri violated users’ privacy by recording conversations without consent.
The settlement, filed in federal court in Oakland, California, awaits approval by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White.
The lawsuit alleges Siri often recorded conversations unintentionally, even without activation via “Hey, Siri,” and some of these recordings were shared with third parties, including advertisers, violating user privacy.
Privacy Breach Allegations
Plaintiffs shared troubling experiences where private conversations triggered targeted ads.
One example involved discussions about Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden, leading to related ads. Another plaintiff mentioned talking about surgical treatment with a doctor, followed by medical service ads.
The alleged unauthorized recordings started on September 17, 2014, when the “Hey, Siri” feature launched, and continue through December 31, 2024, with millions of users potentially eligible for compensation.
According to Reuters, as part of the settlement, Apple will pay $95 million into a fund, allowing class members to claim up to $20 per Siri-enabled device, such as iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches. Tens of millions of users are expected to qualify.
While Apple agreed to the settlement, it denies any wrongdoing, and the company has not publicly commented.
Plaintiffs’ lawyers may request up to $28.5 million in legal fees and $1.1 million in expenses from the settlement fund.
The $95 million payout is a small portion of Apple’s earnings, equivalent to about nine hours of its annual profit, which was $93.74 billion last year.
This case reflects increasing legal scrutiny of tech companies over privacy breaches by virtual assistants. A similar lawsuit against Google’s Voice Assistant is also pending in California, with the same law firms involved.
The lawsuit, Lopez et al v. Apple Inc., marks a key moment in the debate over user privacy and voice-activated technologies.
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