Apple has agreed to a $95 million (£77 million) settlement in a lawsuit which alleged that its devices were secretly listening to users via its virtual assistant, Siri. The lawsuit claimed that Apple was not only recording conversations without consent but also sharing these recordings with advertisers for targeted marketing.
Apple, while not admitting any fault, responded to the allegations stating that it has not “recorded, disclosed to third parties, or failed to delete, conversations recorded as the result of a Siri activation” without user consent. The company also committed to having permanently deleted all Siri audio recordings collected before October 2019.
The lawsuit was initiated by lead plaintiff Fumiko Lopez, who claimed that she and her daughter were recorded without their knowledge after discussing products like Air Jordans, subsequently receiving targeted advertisements. The claimants argue that Siri was activated unintentionally, without the wake phrase “Hey, Siri,” leading to unauthorized recordings.
The settlement, pending final approval, is set for a decision on February 14 in a Northern California court. This case operates as a class action, where a few individuals represent a broader group. If approved, U.S.-based claimants who owned Siri-enabled devices between 2014 and 2019 could receive up to $20 per device. The lawyers for the claimants are expected to receive about 30% of the settlement plus expenses, totaling just under $30 million.
By agreeing to this settlement, Apple avoids a potentially more costly and time-consuming trial. This settlement comes at a time when Apple reported $94.9 billion in revenue for the three months ending September 28, 2024.
Apple has faced multiple class action lawsuits recently, including a $500 million payout in January 2024 for slowing down older iPhone models and a $490 million agreement in March for a UK lawsuit. Additionally, consumer advocacy group Which? started a class action in November, accusing Apple of overcharging for its iCloud service. The same law firm handling the Siri case is also pursuing a similar lawsuit against Google for allegedly listening via its devices, which is still in court in Northern California.
