Apple will settle a Siri privacy lawsuit for an estimated sum of $95 million.
In a recent development, Apple has proposed to settle a class action lawsuit for $95 million, alleging that its voice-activated Siri assistant infringed upon users' privacy. The proposed settlement, filed in Oakland, California's federal court, awaits the approval of U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White.
Users of Apple devices claimed that Siri, often inadvertently, stored their private conversations after activation, subsequently sharing these conversations with third parties like advertisers.
Typical voice assistants respond to 'hot words' like "Hey, Siri."
Two users mentioned Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden restaurants, subsequently triggering ads for those products. Another user, discussing a brand name surgery treatment in confidence with his doctor, was served ads for the same treatment.
The lawsuit's time frame spans from September 17, 2014 to December 31, 2024. It originated when the "Hey, Siri" feature was integrated, leading to unauthorized recordings.
An estimated billion-plus individuals, classified as class members, might receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device, such as iPhones and Apple Watches.
Though Apple acknowledged no wrongdoing in agreeing to settle, it and its legal team remained unresponsive to Thursday's request for comment. The plaintiffs' lawyers also declined to comment immediately. They are entitled to up to $28.5 million in fees and $1.1 million in expenses from the settlement fund.
The $95 million settlement equates to around nine hours of Apple's earnings of $93.74 billion in its latest fiscal year.
A comparable lawsuit over Google's Voice Assistant is being handled in the San Jose, California federal court, within the same district as Oakland's court. The same law firms represent both parties involved in the Apple lawsuit.
The case is titled Lopez et al v. Apple Inc., U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 19-04577.
The class action lawsuit alleges that Apple's business practice with Siri infringed upon users' privacy. Despite agreeing to settle for $95 million, Apple maintains no admittance of wrongdoing in this business matter.
