Apple to Pay $95M to Settle Siri ‘Listening’ Lawsuit
Apple Settles Siri Eavesdropping pay $95 million to a lawsuit that claims it listened to users without their permission through Siri. The plaintiffs further accuse Apple of sharing voice recordings with advertisers.
Although Apple denies any wrongdoing, it has decided to settle the case. Additionally, the company confirmed that it has deleted Siri recordings made before October 2019, as part of the agreement.
Settlement Details
The court in Northern California will review the settlement on February 14. If approved, individuals who owned Siri-enabled devices between 2014 and 2019 could receive up to $20 each. Moreover, the lawyers representing the plaintiffs will receive about $30 million in fees.
By settling, Apple avoids a lengthy trial and reduces the risk of a much larger payout. In fact, the company, which made $94.9 billion in revenue last quarter, has faced similar lawsuits in the past. For example, in January 2024, it started paying $500 million for a lawsuit involving the slowing down of iPhones. Furthermore, Apple agreed to pay $490 million in another class action case in the UK.
The Allegations
The plaintiffs argue that Apple recorded conversations without users’ intent. They claim that advertisers used these recordings to target specific ads. In addition, the lead plaintiff, Fumiko Lopez, states that both she and her daughter were recorded without their consent. After discussing products like Air Jordans, they were served targeted ads.
This case is part of a larger issue about digital privacy. In fact, other tech companies, such as Google, are facing similar lawsuits. As a result, the outcome of this case could influence how tech companies handle user data moving forward.