Apple has agreed to pay $95 million in cash to settle a class action lawsuit alleging its Siri voice assistant violated users’ privacy, Reuters news report said.
The preliminary settlement, filed in the Oakland, California federal court, requires approval by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White. The lawsuit claimed Apple recorded private conversations after Siri was unintentionally activated and disclosed these recordings to third parties, including advertisers. Examples include ads triggered by mentions of Air Jordan sneakers, Olive Garden restaurants, and a surgical treatment discussed privately.
The class period spans from September 17, 2014, to December 31, 2024, coinciding with the introduction of Siri’s “Hey, Siri” feature. Class members, estimated in the tens of millions, may receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device, such as iPhones and Apple Watches.
Apple has denied any wrongdoing in the case but agreed to settle. Neither Apple nor the plaintiffs’ lawyers have commented on the settlement. The plaintiffs’ attorneys may seek up to $28.5 million in fees and $1.1 million in expenses from the settlement fund.
The $95 million settlement equates to about nine hours of profit for Apple, whose net income in its latest fiscal year was $93.74 billion. A similar lawsuit involving Google Voice Assistant is pending in the same judicial district, represented by the same legal teams.
