Apple has consented to a $95 million cash settlement following a class action lawsuit over alleged privacy violations caused by its voice assistant, Siri. The lawsuit claims that Apple’s assistant recorded and shared user conversations without consent.
The lawsuit argues that Siri was unintentionally activated, capturing private discussions, which were then shared with third parties, including advertisers. Users say that these incidents occurred without initiating Siri with typical trigger words. Apple maintains its denial of any wrongdoing as the settlement awaits approval by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White in Oakland, California.
If approved, the settlement could allow users of Apple’s products between September 17, 2014, and 2024 to claim compensation. Each claimant might receive up to $20 per eligible Siri-enabled device, capped at five devices. These include a range of Apple products such as iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and more. However, claims are expected from only a small fraction of eligible customers.
Financially, this settlement equates to around nine hours of profit for Apple, a company with a net income of $93.74 billion in its latest fiscal year. Since September 2014, Apple has accumulated $705 billion in profits. A hearing to review the settlement terms has been suggested for February 14.
A similar case against Google‘s Voice Assistant is underway in California, represented by the same legal teams involved in the Apple lawsuit.