Apple Settles Siri Listening Lawsuit for $95 Million

The tech powerhouse Apple has come to terms on a massive $95 million settlement in a class action lawsuit that alleged its Siri virtual assistant illegally recorded users without their consent. Although Apple continues to deny any wrongdoing, the lawsuit claimed that some devices eavesdropped on unsuspecting customers, with concerns that voice recordings were shared with advertisers. The key plaintiff in the case, Fumiko Lopez, has alleged that her and her daughter’s interactions were recorded without activating Siri via the wake phrase "Hey, Siri." They even reported receiving targeted advertisements for products after discussing them, which they believe was made possible by the unauthorized voice recordings. In its defense, Apple stated that it never recorded conversations without consent, nor did it share these recordings with third parties. As part of the preliminary settlement, Apple’s legal representatives have committed to verify that all individual Siri audio recordings collected prior to October 2019 are permanently deleted.Within the framework of the settlement, each affected claimant is eligible to receive compensation of up to $20 per Siri-enabled device they owned between 2014 and 2019, assuming they are based in the United States. Legal fees would take a substantial slice of the settlement, amounting to about 30% of the total payout, which could total approximately $30 million.The proposed decision date for this settlement is set for February 14 in Northern California. Class action lawsuits like this one enable a small number of individuals to represent the broader group of affected customers, maximizing access to potential payouts for those impacted.By settling, Apple not only circumvents the risk of a drawn-out trial but also potentially larger financial repercussions that could arise from the case. Despite this setback, the company reported an impressive revenue figure of $94.9 billion for the quarter ending September 2024.The Siri lawsuit is just one of several class action cases Apple has faced recently, including a $500 million settlement related to iPhone slowdowns and a $490 million deal due to claims made in the UK. Another class action lawsuit is ongoing against Google, involving similar allegations of customer listening through Google devices, currently pending in the same court in Northern California.