Apple will pay $95 million to settle a class-action lawsuit in which the company is accused of spying on users through Siri. According to the lawsuit, Apple recorded conversations during accidental Siri activations and shared these recordings with third-party advertisers, as reported by Reuters.
Two plaintiffs claimed that after discussing products like Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden, their iPhones began showing ads for those products, while another said they received ads for medical services after a consultation with a doctor.
The lawsuit was filed in 2019 after it was revealed that recordings of Siri interactions were being processed by Apple employees. These employees reported having to listen to confidential medical information, drug deal transactions, personal moments, and other private data.
Apple never concealed the fact that some Siri recordings were analyzed by humans, but at that time, its privacy policy did not explicitly mention this. The plaintiffs argue that Apple did not inform consumers that their data was "regularly recorded without their consent," and they claim they would not have purchased Apple devices if they had known about it.
In the settlement statement, Apple notes that it "continues to deny all allegations, including rejecting every claim and demand by the plaintiffs." However, the company decided to reach a settlement to avoid further litigation costs.
The settlement has received preliminary court approval. According to the filed statement, all current and former owners or purchasers of devices with Siri in the U.S. whose confidential or private messages were accessed by Apple between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024, are considered part of the group and may be entitled to compensation.
A website will be created within 45 days to allow customers who purchased devices with Siri to submit claims for compensation. Claims information will be collected until May 15, 2025, after which the settlement process will conclude, and payments will be made to eligible participants. Each group member will be able to submit claims for up to five Siri-enabled devices and receive up to $20 for each.