American multinational corporation and technology company Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle allegations that its Siri voice assistant violated users’ privacy by recording private conversations without their consent.
The settlement, filed in the Oakland, California, federal court on Tuesday, addresses claims that Siri’s activation through “hot words” like “Hey, Siri” led to unintentional recordings shared with Applthird parties, including advertisers.
The lawsuit centres on complaints that Apple’s devices routinely captured private discussions. Some plaintiffs report instances where mentions of products like Air Jordan sneakers or Olive Garden restaurants resulted in targeted advertisements.
Another plaintiff alleged receiving ads for surgical treatment after discussing it privately with their doctor.
The proposed settlement, which requires approval from U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White, covers a class period from September 2014 to December 2024, when Siri’s “Hey, Siri” feature was introduced.
Tens of millions of device owners could be eligible for compensation, with payments of up to $20 per Siri-enabled device, such as iPhones and Apple Watches.
Apple denied wrongdoing but agreed to the settlement to resolve the case. The plaintiffs’ lawyers, seeking $28.5 million in legal fees and $1.1 million in expenses, also declined to comment.
A lawsuit involving the same legal teams is pending in San Jose federal court against Google’s Voice Assistant.
The lawsuit, Lopez et al. v. Apple Inc., underscores the financial scale of such settlements for a tech giant like Apple. The $95 million payout represents less than a day’s profit.
