Apple has agreed to pay USD 95 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that the company’s virtual assistant, “Siri,” eavesdropped on users without their consent, according to AP.
The settlement, filed in a federal court in Oakland, California, would resolve a five-year-old case claiming that Apple secretly activated Siri to record conversations through iPhones and other devices equipped with the artificial assistant for over a decade.
The recordings reportedly occurred even when users did not use the trigger phrase “Hey, Siri.” Some of these conversations were allegedly shared with advertisers to target consumers with more personalized relevant ads.
The accusations stood in stark contrast to Apple’s long standing promises of safeguarding user privacy, a principle championed by CEO Tim Cook, who has described privacy as “a fundamental human right.”
While Apple denies any wrongdoing in the case, the settlement would allow consumers who owned affected devices between September 17, 2014, and the end of 2023 to file claims for compensation.
Each eligible consumer could receive up to USD 20 per Siri-enabled device, though the amount could vary depending on the number of claims filed.
Lawyers predict that only 3-5% of eligible consumers will make claims, and they will be limited to a maximum of five devices each.
The proposed settlement is a fraction of Apple’s USD 705 billion in profits since 2014 and much smaller than the estimated USD 1.5 billion the company could have been ordered to pay if the case had gone to trial.
Attorneys representing consumers may request up to USD 29.6 million from the settlement fund to cover legal fees and expenses. The settlement still requires approval from US District Judge Jeffrey White, with a court hearing scheduled for February 14 to review the terms.