Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging that its voice assistant, Siri, improperly recorded users’ private conversations without consent.
The lawsuit, filed five years ago, claimed that Siri was sometimes activated inadvertently, capturing confidential discussions, which were then potentially shared with third parties, including advertisers.
The proposed settlement, submitted in an Oakland, California federal court, awaits approval from U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White. If sanctioned, it would allow U.S. consumers who owned Siri-enabled devices between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024, to file claims for compensation. Eligible individuals could receive up to $20 per device, with a maximum of five devices per person. The actual payout may vary depending on the number of claims submitted.
Apple has consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that it prioritizes user privacy. The company stated in the settlement proposal, “Apple has at all times denied and continues to deny any and all alleged wrongdoing and liability.”
This settlement follows previous reports from 2019, where it was revealed that Apple contractors listened to a small percentage of anonymizefor quality control purposes. These reports raised concerns about the potential for inadvertent activation and recording of private conversations. In response, Apple made changes to its privacy policies, including allowing users to opt out of sharing their Siri interactions and deleting recordings associated with their devices.
The settlement also stipulates that Apple will ensure the deletion of any inadvertently recorded conversations and provide clearer information to users about how their voice data is utilized to improve Siri’s functionality.
