Apple has agreed to a substantial $95 million settlement to resolve a lawsuit that accused its popular voice assistant, Siri, of secretly listening in on private conversations of users. The class-action lawsuit, which was initially filed five years ago, claimed that Siri was unintentionally activated on Apple devices like iPhones, iPads, and HomePods, capturing private discussions without the users’ knowledge or consent.
Despite agreeing to settle the case, Apple has consistently denied any wrongdoing. In a statement included in the settlement filing, the tech giant emphasised, “Apple has at all times denied and continues to deny any and all alleged wrongdoing and liability.”
The Cupertino company has maintained that it did not intentionally breach any user privacy and that it takes privacy seriously as part of its brand image.
What Was The Lawsuit About?
The core of the lawsuit revolves around accusations that audio recordings, which were captured when Siri was activated unintentionally, were stored by Apple and possibly shared with third-party contractors.
This claim raised concerns about the company’s privacy practices, particularly given that Apple has long marketed itself as a leader in safeguarding user privacy.
Who Will Get The $95 Million Settlement?
The proposed settlement fund of $95 million will be allocated to compensate US users whose private conversations were captured by Siri without their consent.
The compensation is expected to be up to $20 per Siri-enabled device owned by affected users.
In addition to the financial settlement, Apple is required to take specific actions to reassure its customers about their privacy. The company must confirm that any unintended recordings of users' conversations have been deleted and provide clearer choices for users regarding the collection of voice data for Siri’s improvement.
These actions aim to enhance transparency around how Siri collects and processes voice data.
A Precedent For Smart Assistants
While Apple has not yet responded publicly to requests for further comment, the settlement could set a significant precedent for how digital assistants handle user privacy. This case follows similar actions in the tech industry, with companies like Amazon previously settling lawsuits related to privacy concerns.
Notably, in 2023, Amazon agreed to pay over $30 million to resolve a privacy-related lawsuit involving its Alexa assistant and Ring doorbell cameras.