Apple denies wrongdoing in $95 million Siri privacy settlement – San Francisco Chronicle

Apple has responded to the $95 million settlement of a class-action lawsuit alleging that its Siri voice assistant violated user privacy, reaffirming on Monday its commitment to protecting user data while denying any wrongdoing. 

The settlement addresses claims that Siri inadvertently recorded private conversations and shared them with third-party contractors, raising questions about the Cupertino tech behemoth’s data collection practices. 

Apple maintained that its policies have always been designed to safeguard user information.

The lawsuit, filed in 2019, stemmed from accusations that Siri was unintentionally activated by background noises or phrases similar to “Hey Siri,” recording sensitive conversations without users’ knowledge. The plaintiffs claimed these recordings were shared with third-party contractors for review — a practice exposed by a whistleblower in the Guardian. 

Among the plaintiffs, one alleged that Siri recorded a conversation involving her child mentioning brand names while another said private discussions with his doctor led to targeted ads for medical treatments.

In response, Apple reaffirmed its longstanding stance that Siri is built with privacy as a core principle. 

An Apple spokesperson told the Chronicle that Siri recordings have never been used for targeted advertising and user data has never been sold or used to create marketing profiles.

“Siri data has never been used to build marketing profiles and it has never been sold to anyone for any purpose,” the spokesperson said. “Apple settled this case to avoid additional litigation so we can move forward from concerns about third-party grading that we already addressed in 2019. We use Siri data to improve Siri, and we are constantly developing technologies to make Siri even more private.”

Apple outlined several measures it has taken to protect user privacy, including limiting the retention of audio recordings and allowing users to opt in to share data for Siri improvements. The company clarified that, in most cases, Siri data is processed directly on users’ devices and is not stored on Apple’s servers.

Under the terms of the settlement, which still requires court approval, users who owned Siri-enabled devices between Sept. 17, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2024, may be eligible for compensation of up to $20 per device.

In addition, Apple has agreed to permanently delete all recordings made before October 2019 and provide clearer instructions for users who opt into data sharing to improve Siri.

The settlement follows similar legal challenges faced by other tech giants, including Google, which is currently embroiled in a similar lawsuit regarding its voice assistant.

Here’s a brief FAQ that explains the company’s privacy practices with Siri and what users can expect from the settlement.

The lawsuit accused Apple’s Siri voice assistant of recording private conversations without users’ consent and sharing those recordings with third-party contractors. The plaintiffs argued that this violated privacy rights and contradicted Apple’s claims of being a privacy-conscious company.

No, Apple has denied any wrongdoing throughout the lawsuit and continues to assert that it does not use Siri recordings for targeted advertising. The company said it settled the case to avoid further litigation and address concerns about third-party grading of Siri interactions, which it already resolved in 2019.

Apple said it uses Siri data primarily to improve the service, not for commercial purposes. Siri’s data is processed with as much privacy as possible, and Apple employs several measures to ensure users’ data remains protected.

Apple said it has never sold or shared Siri data with advertisers, nor has it used Siri recordings to create marketing profiles. It added that information shared with Siri is never used for targeted advertising.

Siri only listens for the wake phrase “Hey Siri” to activate, according to Apple. It is designed to process as much data as possible directly on the device, without sending information to Apple’s servers unless necessary to fulfill a request. If you choose to share data to improve Siri, that is under your control, and you can opt out at any time.

Siri processes audio requests on the device using the Apple Neural Engine for devices with the A12 Bionic chip or later. Audio recordings are only stored if the user opts in for improvements, and Apple employees are the only ones allowed to review these recordings. After six months, Apple disassociates request history from a random identifier associated with the device, ensuring further protection. Apple also allows users to review and delete their Siri transcripts directly through device settings.

Apple said it made several significant changes to improve privacy beginning in 2019, including: Stopping the retention of audio recordings by default; using computer-generated transcripts for Siri improvements; allowing users to opt in to share audio samples, with the option to opt out at any time; deleting inadvertent or unnecessary recordings.

Apple has agreed to a $95 million settlement, which will provide compensation to users who owned Siri-enabled devices between Sept. 17, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2024. Eligible users may receive up to $20 per affected device. Details of the settlement are pending.

You can review and delete your Siri transcripts directly in the Settings app on your Apple device.

Reach Aidin Vaziri: avaziri@sfchronicle.com