Apple Pays Out for Siri

Apple has agreed to a $95 million settlement in a lawsuit alleging that its virtual assistant, Siri, was listening to users without their permission.

​The lawsuit accused Apple of eavesdropping on customers through Siri and sharing voice recordings with advertisers. Claimants alleged that Siri sometimes activated unintentionally, without the "Hey Siri" wake phrase, and that these recordings were then used for targeted advertising. One plaintiff claimed she and her daughter were served targeted ads for products they had discussed near their Siri-enabled devices.

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Apple Denies Wrongdoing:
While agreeing to the settlement, Apple denies any wrongdoing. The company specifically denies recording, sharing with third parties, or failing to delete conversations recorded as a result of unintended Siri activations. Apple's lawyers have stated they will confirm the permanent deletion of individual Siri audio recordings collected before October 2019.

​Potential Payout for Claimants:
The preliminary settlement proposes a decision date of February 14th in a Northern California court. This is a class-action lawsuit, meaning a small group of plaintiffs represent a larger group of affected individuals. If approved, US-based claimants could receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device they owned between 2014 and 2019. Lawyers involved in the case could receive nearly $30 million, representing 30% of the settlement plus expenses.

Avoiding a Larger Payout:
By settling, Apple avoids the risk of a trial that could have resulted in a significantly larger payout. The company's revenue in the three months leading up to September 28th, 2024, was nearly $95 billion, putting the settlement amount in perspective.

A History of Lawsuits:
This is not Apple's first experience with class-action lawsuits. Recent cases include a $500 million settlement for intentionally slowing down iPhones and a $490 million settlement in the UK. Consumer groups have also launched legal action against Apple over its iCloud service. Notably, the same law firm involved in this Siri case is also pursuing a similar lawsuit against Google for alleged eavesdropping through Google devices. That case is currently proceeding in the same California court.

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