American multinational corporation and technology company Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to resolve allegations that its Siri voice assistant violated users' privacy by recording private conversations without their consent.
The settlement, filed Tuesday in federal court in Oakland, California, addresses claims that activating Siri through “hot words” like “Hey, Siri” led to unintentional recordings that were shared with third parties, including advertisers. .
The lawsuit centers on complaints that Apple devices routinely captured private conversations, and some plaintiffs reported cases in which mentions of products like Air Jordan sneakers or Olive Garden restaurants led to targeted ads.
Another plaintiff alleged that he received advertisements for surgical treatment after discussing it privately with his doctor.
The proposed settlement, which requires approval from U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White, covers a class period from September 2014 to December 2024, when Siri's “Hey, Siri” feature was introduced.
Tens of millions of device owners could be eligible for compensation, with payments of up to $20 per Siri-enabled device, such as iPhones and Apple Watches.
Apple has denied wrongdoing but accepted the settlement to resolve the case. Lawyers for the plaintiffs, who are seeking $28.5 million in legal fees and $1.1 million in expenses, also declined to comment.
A similar lawsuit against Google Voice Assistant, involving the same legal teams, is pending in federal court in San Jose.
The lawsuit, López et al v. Apple Inc., underlines the financial scale of such agreements for a technology giant like Apple, where the $95 million payment represents less than a day of profits for the company.