In a recent court settlement, Apple is set to pay $95 million following accusations that its virtual assistant, Siri, listened to users without their consent. The lawsuit claimed that unauthorized recordings made by Siri were shared with advertisers for targeted marketing purposes. While Apple denies any wrongdoing, the settlement allows them to bypass a lengthy court battle, potentially saving more than just financial resources. Each eligible claimant within the U.S. could receive up to $20 for Siri-enabled devices owned from 2014 to 2019. The payment aligns with Apple's ongoing legal challenges, as the tech company grapples with multiple class action lawsuits in recent years.
Apple Settles Siri 'Listening' Lawsuit for $95 Million
Apple Settles Siri 'Listening' Lawsuit for $95 Million
Tech giant Apple has agreed to a $95 million settlement to resolve allegations of unauthorized listening through Siri.
The tech giant was accused of eavesdropping on its customers through its virtual assistant Siri. The claimants also allege voice recordings were shared with advertisers. Apple, which has not admitted any wrongdoing, has been approached for comment. In the preliminary settlement, the tech firm denies any wrongdoing, as well as claims that it "recorded, disclosed to third parties, or failed to delete, conversations recorded as the result of a Siri activation" without consent.
Apple's lawyers also say they will confirm they have "permanently deleted individual Siri audio recordings collected by Apple prior to October 2019". But the claimants say the tech firm recorded people who activated the virtual assistant unintentionally - without using the phrase "Hey, Siri" to wake it. They say advertisers who received the recordings could then look for keywords in them to better target ads.
The lead plaintiff Fumiko Lopez claims she and her daughter were both recorded without their consent. They allege they were served targeted ads after talking about products including Air Jordans.
Apple has proposed a decision date of 14 February in the court in Northern California. Class action lawsuits work by a small number of people going to court on behalf of a larger group. If they are successful, the money won is paid out across all claimants. According to the court documents, each claimant - who has to be based in the US - could be paid up to $20 per Siri-enabled device they owned between 2014 and 2019.
In this case, the lawyers could take 30% of the fee plus expenses - which comes to just under $30 million. By settling, Apple not only denies wrongdoing, but it also avoids the risk of facing a court case which could potentially mean a much larger pay out.
The California company made $94.9 billion in revenue in the three months up to 28 September 2024. Apple has been involved in a number of class action lawsuits in recent years. In January 2024, it started paying out in a $500 million lawsuit which claimed it deliberately slowed down iPhones in the US. In March, it agreed to pay $490 million in a class action led by Norfolk County Council in the UK. And in November, consumer group Which? started a class action against Apple, accusing it of ripping off customers through its iCloud service.
The same law firm is suing Google in a similar class action, accusing it of listening to customers using Google devices. That lawsuit is currently going through the same court in Northern California.
Apple's lawyers also say they will confirm they have "permanently deleted individual Siri audio recordings collected by Apple prior to October 2019". But the claimants say the tech firm recorded people who activated the virtual assistant unintentionally - without using the phrase "Hey, Siri" to wake it. They say advertisers who received the recordings could then look for keywords in them to better target ads.
The lead plaintiff Fumiko Lopez claims she and her daughter were both recorded without their consent. They allege they were served targeted ads after talking about products including Air Jordans.
Apple has proposed a decision date of 14 February in the court in Northern California. Class action lawsuits work by a small number of people going to court on behalf of a larger group. If they are successful, the money won is paid out across all claimants. According to the court documents, each claimant - who has to be based in the US - could be paid up to $20 per Siri-enabled device they owned between 2014 and 2019.
In this case, the lawyers could take 30% of the fee plus expenses - which comes to just under $30 million. By settling, Apple not only denies wrongdoing, but it also avoids the risk of facing a court case which could potentially mean a much larger pay out.
The California company made $94.9 billion in revenue in the three months up to 28 September 2024. Apple has been involved in a number of class action lawsuits in recent years. In January 2024, it started paying out in a $500 million lawsuit which claimed it deliberately slowed down iPhones in the US. In March, it agreed to pay $490 million in a class action led by Norfolk County Council in the UK. And in November, consumer group Which? started a class action against Apple, accusing it of ripping off customers through its iCloud service.
The same law firm is suing Google in a similar class action, accusing it of listening to customers using Google devices. That lawsuit is currently going through the same court in Northern California.
