Apple has agreed to a $95 million settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit alleging privacy violations tied to its Siri voice assistant. The settlement, still awaiting court approval, could provide compensation to millions of Apple device users in the United States.
Siri Privacy Allegations
The lawsuit claims that Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, recorded private conversations when unintentionally activated and shared those recordings with third parties. Plaintiffs allege that these incidents occurred over a decade, from September 2014 to December 31, 2024, starting when Apple introduced the “Hey, Siri” voice activation feature.
According to court documents, the recordings were sometimes reviewed by human contractors for quality control and even shared with advertisers. These actions allegedly violated users’ privacy rights. However, Apple denies any wrongdoing.
Apple’s Response
The privacy concerns surrounding Siri came to light in 2019 when The Guardian reported that Apple contractors frequently overheard snippets of private conversations during Siri’s quality checks. Following the report, Apple issued a rare apology and pledged to make changes to its practices.
“As a result of our review, we realize we haven’t been fully living up to our high ideals, and for that we apologize,” the company stated in 2019. Apple also announced adjustments to how Siri interactions were graded and provided users with more control over their data.
Who Is Eligible for Compensation?
Under the proposed settlement, eligible class members include all current or former owners or purchasers of Siri-enabled devices who reside in the United States and its territories. These individuals must declare under oath that Apple recorded their private conversations due to Siri’s inadvertent activation.
Eligible devices include:
- iPhones
- iPads
- Apple Watches
- MacBooks with Siri functionality
Payouts could reach up to $20 per device, depending on the number of claimants and the total number of eligible devices owned. Tens of millions of users are expected to qualify.
Additional Terms of the Settlement
If approved, the settlement will require Apple to:
- Publish a webpage explaining how Siri’s opt-in features work and what data is stored.
- Permanently delete audio recordings collected before October 2019.
The settlement also allocates $28.5 million for plaintiffs’ attorney fees and $1.1 million for litigation expenses.
Siri’s Evolution
Apple first launched Siri in 2011 with the iPhone 4S. Since then, the voice assistant has evolved significantly. During the “Glowtime” event in September 2024, Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, unveiled a new AI-powered Siri capable of handling complex requests with features like “on-screen awareness” and “personal context understanding.”
The revamped Siri, powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, is set to roll out fully next year, marking a new era of conversational AI for Apple devices.
What Happens Next?
The proposed settlement is now in the hands of US District Judge Jeffrey White, who will decide whether to approve it. If approved, Apple users will receive instructions on how to claim their payouts. For those who’ve felt uneasy about Siri’s occasional eavesdropping, this settlement might bring some closure—and a little cash.
Stay tuned for updates on the court’s decision and details on how to file your claim if you’re eligible.
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