Apple has agreed to a $95 million settlement to resolve a lawsuit alleging the company violated users’ privacy by recording personal conversations through its voice assistant, Siri, without consent. Privacy concerns were heightened by claims that the recordings were shared with third parties for targeted advertising purposes. Apple denied any wrongdoing, attributing the issue to unintended Siri activations.
The lawsuit stems from Siri’s “Hey Siri” feature, introduced in 2014, which some users believe inadvertently recorded conversations before the activation phrase was spoken. In 2019, a whistleblower revealed instances of Siri activating randomly, such as when an Apple Watch was raised. Public concern intensified when users noticed suspiciously accurate ads seemingly based on private conversations, fueling speculation about Siri’s role in targeted advertising.
If approved, the settlement would provide up to $20 for each Siri-enabled device purchased between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024. Eligible devices include iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, MacBooks, HomePods, and more, with compensation capped at five devices per customer.
The settlement’s approval will need a February 14 hearing. The agreement relieves money and demands for the deletion of private recordings, but critics argue Apple is getting away with taking a bigger hit. If the case had gone to trial, damages might have been as much as $1.5 billion under the Wiretap Act.
But the case also reflects broader problems in the data privacy litigation. A big part of the settlement is due to the uncertain legal landscape surrounding privacy laws. A compromise was reached to mitigate ongoing litigation risk of narrowing the class size and reducing recoverable damages.
It comes on the heels of reports that Siri had picked up on sensitive conversations, including doctor-patient discussions and private matters. One of the lawsuits also targets Google’s voice assistant, opening the path to more privacy accountability lawsuits. The settlement also sends a message to the tech industry about the need for stronger privacy protections the one thing that has left so many affected customers feeling angry and uneasy.
