Apple was accused of surreptitiously activating virtual assistant to record conversations, now to settle $95 million lawsuit.
Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit that accused the company of using its virtual assistant, Siri, to eavesdrop on users of its iPhones and other devices. The proposed settlement, filed Tuesday in federal court in Oakland, California, seeks to resolve a lawsuit that has been ongoing for five years. The case centers on claims that Apple secretly activated Siri to record conversations without users’ consent for over a decade.
The recordings allegedly occurred even when users did not intend to activate Siri by using the voice trigger "Hey, Siri." Some of these recordings were reportedly shared with advertisers, aiming to target consumers with ads for products and services based on their conversations. These accusations run counter to Apple’s longstanding commitment to customer privacy, a stance that CEO Tim Cook has consistently championed as essential to protecting "a fundamental human right."
Although Apple has not admitted any wrongdoing in the settlement, it is subject to approval by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White. A hearing to review the terms is scheduled for February 14 in Oakland.
If the settlement is approved, consumers who owned iPhones or other Apple devices with Siri from September 17, 2014, through the end of last year will be eligible to file claims. Each eligible consumer could receive up to $20 per device, though the payout may vary depending on the number of claims submitted. It is expected that only about three to five percent of eligible consumers will file claims, according to estimates in court documents. A limit of five devices per consumer will apply for compensation.
The settlement amount represents a small fraction of Apple’s $705 billion in profits since 2014 and is considerably less than the $1.5 billion that consumer lawyers had estimated Apple could owe if the case had gone to trial. Legal representatives for the consumers may also request up to $29.6 million for fees and other expenses related to the case.
