In 2019, consumers filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple for the unlawful and intentional recording of Siri assistant’s interactions. Now, the case is finally coming to an end as Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle the Siri privacy lawsuit. Notably, Apple’s years-long legal battle over Siri is ending in a settlement, Reuters reports.
Plaintiffs accused Apple of recording Siri conversations without users’ consent.
According to reports, U.S. District Judge Jeffery White will have to approve the settlement in Oakland, California federal court first. However, Apple has already submitted the settlement agreement Tuesday night. As per the lawsuit filings, Apple has agreed to pay $95 million for the Siri privacy settlement to the plaintiffs. Notably, the users accused Apple of recording Siri conversations without their consent in 2019.
Furthermore, the lawsuit claims that Apple’s third-party contractors “regularly hear confidential medical information, drug deals, and recordings of couples having private times” while working on Siri’s quality control.
Notably, users must say a deliberate word to activate Siri. Apple stated that they only provided a small portion of Siri recordings to third-party contractors. Furthermore, the Cupertino tech giant offered a formal apology and said it would no longer use audio recordings from the Siri assistant on its devices.
The iPhone users claimed that Apple routinely recorded their private conversations after they activated Siri unintentionally. Two of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit said their mentions of Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden restaurants triggered advertisements for these products. One of them claims that he got an advertisement for a surgical treatment. Furthermore, the plaintiff said that he discussed these matters with his doctor privately.
Apple users could get up to $20 per Siri-enabled device from the settlement
Notably, many US-based Apple device users could get up to $20 per device for up to five Siri-enabled products. However, it still requires approval by a judge. The lawsuit covers many Apple Siri-enabled devices like the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, iMac, HomePod, iPod touch, or Apple TV. The lawsuit covers the devices purchased between September 17, 2024 and December 31, 2024.
Furthermore, an Apple user would also need to meet one other major criteria. They will have to swear under oath that they accidentally enabled the Siri assistant during private conversations. Notably, individual payouts will depend on how many Apple users claim the money from the settlement.
