Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a civil lawsuit alleging that the company used its Siri virtual assistant to eavesdrop on users of iPhones and other devices.
The settlement, filed in a federal court in Oakland, California, aims to resolve a five-year-old case accusing Apple of secretly activating Siri to record conversations without users’ knowledge for over a decade.
The lawsuit claims Siri captured audio even without the trigger phrase “Hey, Siri” and that some of the recordings were shared with advertisers to target consumers with personalized ads.
These allegations stand in contrast to Apple’s long-standing emphasis on customer privacy, a principle frequently highlighted by CEO Tim Cook, who has described privacy as a “fundamental human right.”
Although Apple denies any wrongdoing, the settlement must still be approved by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White. A hearing to review the terms is scheduled for February 14 in Oakland.
If approved, the settlement could benefit tens of millions of iPhone and Apple device owners who used Siri between September 17, 2014, and the end of 2023. Eligible consumers may file claims for up to $20 per device, with compensation capped at five devices per claimant. The final payout could vary based on the number of claims, which court documents estimate will be filed by only 3% to 5% of eligible users.
The $95 million settlement is a small fraction of the $705 billion in profits Apple has generated since 2014 and much lower than the $1.5 billion potential liability had the case gone to trial and Apple been found guilty of violating wiretapping and privacy laws.
Lawyers representing the plaintiffs may request up to $29.6 million from the settlement to cover legal fees and expenses.
