Apple Agrees to $95 Million Settlement Over Siri Privacy Lawsuit
SAN FRANCISCO:Apple has consented to a $95 million settlement to resolve allegations that its Siri digital assistant recorded users’ private conversations without authorization.
According to court documents released on Thursday, the settlement proposal maintains Apple’s position that it has not engaged in any misconduct.
“Apple has consistently denied and continues to deny all allegations of wrongdoing or liability,” the company stated in the settlement, which still requires judicial approval to be finalized.
The legal dispute dates back five years when a class-action lawsuit claimed that Siri inadvertently recorded private conversations through devices such as iPhones, iPads, HomePods, and other Apple products equipped with the voice assistant.
Apple, known for emphasizing user privacy as a core aspect of its brand, has tightly integrated its hardware and software to maintain control over its ecosystem.
The lawsuit alleged that Siri’s “accidental activation” led to conversations being recorded and, potentially, shared with third parties.
Under the settlement, a $95 million fund would provide compensation to U.S. users affected by the privacy breaches, with individual payments capped at $20 per Siri-enabled device.
The agreement also obligates Apple to confirm the deletion of any recorded conversations obtained unintentionally and to clearly outline user choices regarding voice data collected to enhance Siri’s functionality.
Apple has yet to comment on the settlement.
This case follows a 2023 incident in which Amazon agreed to pay over $30 million to settle allegations brought by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Amazon was accused of privacy violations involving its Ring doorbell cameras and Alexa voice assistant.
