Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging that its Siri voice assistant inadvertently recorded users' private conversations and shared the information with third parties without consent. The settlement, filed in federal court in Oakland, California, is subject to approval by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White.
The lawsuit, known as Lopez et al v. Apple Inc., claims Apple's Siri violated users' privacy rights by unintentionally recording private conversations and disclosing those recordings to external parties, including advertisers. The recordings were allegedly triggered by accidental activation of Siri through "hot words" like "Hey, Siri."
According to court documents, users reported receiving targeted ads after private discussions about specific products or services. Plaintiffs cited examples such as mentions of Air Jordan sneakers, Olive Garden restaurants, and even private medical discussions leading to targeted advertisements. These incidents raised concerns over potential misuse of sensitive information captured by Siri.
The settlement covers a class period from September 17, 2014, to December 31, 2024, starting when Siri integrated the "Hey, Siri" functionality. During this time, millions of Apple device owners allegedly experienced unauthorized recordings. The agreement proposes that eligible users could receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device, including iPhones, Apple Watches, and other Apple products.
Apple has denied any wrongdoing but agreed to settle the case to avoid prolonged litigation. A company spokesperson did not comment on the settlement, and the plaintiffs' legal representatives have yet to respond to media inquiries. Attorneys for the plaintiffs plan to seek approximately $28.5 million in legal fees and $1.1 million for expenses from the settlement fund.
The payout is expected to compensate millions of affected users, although the final amount per user will depend on the number of claims submitted. The settlement fund represents a small fraction of Apple's financial strength, equating to about nine hours of the company's annual profit, which totaled $93.74 billion in its most recent fiscal year.
The Siri privacy controversy traces back to a 2019 report by The Guardian, which revealed that third-party contractors hired by Apple listened to Siri recordings for quality control purposes. The report alleged that contractors overheard sensitive information, including confidential medical details, drug deals, and intimate conversations, due to frequent accidental activations of Siri. One whistleblower claimed that even non-verbal cues, like the sound of a zipper, could inadvertently activate the assistant.
Apple responded to the report by apologizing publicly and revising its Siri policies. The company pledged to no longer retain audio recordings by default and introduced an opt-in system for users who wished to share their Siri interactions for quality improvement.
