Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a proposed class-action lawsuit accusing the company of breaching users' privacy through its Siri voice assistant. This significant development, first reported by Reuters, highlights concerns over accidental Siri activations and the unintentional sharing of private voice communications with third parties.
Who is Eligible for Compensation?
The settlement applies to U.S.-based individuals who owned or purchased Siri-enabled devices between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024. Eligible devices include:
- iPhones
- iPads
- Apple Watches
- MacBooks
- iMacs
- HomePods
- iPod Touches
- Apple TVs
Users can submit claims for up to five devices, with a payout of $20 per device for valid claims. To qualify, individuals must demonstrate that they experienced unintended Siri activations during confidential conversations.
Background of the Lawsuit
The legal action against Apple began following a 2019 report by The Guardian, which revealed that third-party contractors were inadvertently listening to private conversations recorded by Siri. These recordings were part of Apple's efforts to enhance the performance of its voice assistant but raised significant privacy concerns among users.
An amended complaint filed in 2021 alleged that Apple not only recorded accidental activations but also shared this information with third-party advertisers. The plaintiffs accused the company of enabling targeted advertising based on these inadvertent recordings, a claim Apple has vehemently denied.
Apple’s Response and Changes
In response to the backlash, Apple apologized in 2019, admitting that it fell short of its privacy standards. The company introduced several measures to rebuild trust and enhance user privacy:
- Opt-In for Siri Improvement: Users must now explicitly opt-in to allow Siri to learn from their audio recordings.
- Automatic Deletion: Any recordings identified as unintended activations are automatically deleted.
- Analytics Control: Apple added settings to allow users to disable the collection of analytics data for Siri and dictation improvement.
- History Management: Users can delete their Siri and dictation history directly from their devices.
Despite these actions, Apple denied any wrongdoing in its settlement filing, maintaining that there was no factual basis linking Siri activations to targeted advertising.
Industry-Wide Privacy Concerns
Apple is not alone in facing scrutiny over voice assistant privacy. In 2019, Google was accused of similar practices involving its Google Assistant. The search giant is currently defending itself in a related lawsuit in the U.S. District Court, underscoring broader concerns about how voice data is collected, stored, and used across the tech industry.
What Happens Next?
Eligible users are encouraged to submit their claims to receive compensation. The settlement aims to close a contentious chapter in Apple’s history while signaling a commitment to user privacy. As voice assistants continue to evolve, the case serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between innovation and privacy protection.
Stay tuned for more updates on this settlement and other developments in tech privacy.
