Apple has settled a $95 million class action lawsuit filed against its Siri voice assistant, accused of invading user privacy. The settlement requires approval by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White.
Key Case Highlights
According to a Reuters report, the lawsuit claimed that Apple's voice assistant, Siri, allegedly recorded private conversations without user's consent. These recordings were reportedly shared with third parties such as advertisers after being accidentally triggered by phrases resembling “Hey, Siri.”
Details of the Lawsuit
Plaintiffs stated this resulted in receiving targeted ads related to topics they had discussed privately. One plaintiff mentioned Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden, noticing ads related to these brands. Another plaintiff discussed specific surgical treatment with his doctor and subsequently received ads for that treatment. The alleged violations occurred from September 17, 2014, to December 31, 2024, after Apple first introduced the ‘Hey, Siri’ feature.
Implications and Next Steps
Should the settlement be approved, payouts will be distributed among tens of millions of eligible Siri users who could receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device. However, Apple denies any wrongdoing and agreed to the settlement. The settlement fund may grant the plaintiffs' attorneys $28.5 million in legal fees and $1.1 million in expenses. The payout equals approximately nine hours of profit for Apple from the last fiscal year.
The settlement mirrors another lawsuit filed against Google in San Jose, California, citing similar privacy concerns with the Google Voice Assistant. The same legal teams represent plaintiffs in both cases.
