Apple Says Siri Isn’t Eavesdropping And Selling Your Data

Apple Inc. (AAPL -2.72%) has reaffirmed that Siri does not listen in or sell data for marketing purposes. The announcement comes after a proposed class action lawsuit accusing the voice assistant of secretly recording user conversations without consent was settled. The lawsuit was settled for $95 million, and Apple denied any wrongdoing.

In a statement, Apple said: ‘Apple has never used Siri data to build marketing profiles, never made it available for advertising, and never sold it to anyone for any purpose.’ It stressed that Siri is built to respect privacy and is ‘the most private digital assistant.’ Apple also said that it doesn’t keep audio recordings of Siri interactions unless users agree to help improve the feature, and even then, the data is used only for that purpose.

The lawsuit said Siri recorded conversations from users of iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, AirPods, Macs, and HomePods without the user activating the trigger phrase ‘Hey, Siri,’ and shared that data with advertisers. Apple, however, insists the claims are unfounded.

The settlement, if approved, will allow Apple customers who owned Siri-enabled devices between September 17, 2014 and December 31, 2024 to file claims. Users who are eligible could get up to $20 per device, up to five devices per person, but payouts may differ depending on the number of claims.

The $95 million settlement is a big number, but it’s a tiny fraction of Apple’s $94 billion in net income in its last fiscal year. Some social media users have interpreted the payout as an admission of guilt. But Apple’s position reflects its continued commitment to protecting user privacy and trust.