Apple to pay $95 million for accidental recording of Siri conversations and data transfer to advertisers
Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of eavesdropping on Siri conversations.
Here's What We Know
The lawsuit concerns allegations that Apple accidentally recorded conversations activated by Siri and shared this information with third-party advertisers.
Two of the plaintiffs claim that after discussing products such as Air Jordan shoes or Olive Garden restaurants, they began to see adverts for these products. Another plaintiff said he received an advert for a surgical treatment after discussing it with his doctor.
The case was filed back in 2019 after it became known that contractors had been listening to personal conversations activated by Siri. Apple used contractors to evaluate recordings to improve Siri's performance, and some employees reported hearing confidential medical information, drug deals, intimate moments, and other private data.
The company never disclosed that some of Siri's recordings were evaluated by humans, but its privacy policy did not state that these recordings were manually reviewed. The plaintiffs claim that they were not informed about the regular recording of their conversations without consent, and if they had been aware of this, they would not have purchased Apple devices.
A presentation of Siri. Illustration: Tom's Guide
Apple denies any violation of the law and does not admit the charges. However, in order to avoid additional legal costs, the company has agreed to settle the lawsuit.
The Siri spying lawsuit settlement agreement has received preliminary court approval. All current or former owners of Siri devices in the United States whose private messages were received by Apple between 17 September 2014 and 31 December 2024 may be compensated.
A website will be set up within 45 days to determine who is eligible. Apple is obliged to provide contact information of customers who purchased Siri devices. Claims can be filed until 15 May 2025, after which compensation will be paid.
Each participant will be able to file a claim for up to five Siri devices, receiving up to $20 for each. The payout amount will depend on the number of valid claims.
After the 2019 scandal, Apple stopped using contractors to evaluate Siri, stopped the corresponding programme, and gave users the opportunity to delete Siri recordings and block their listening.
Source: Reuters
