Written By Lisa Murimi
Tech giant Apple has agreed to a $95 million settlement to resolve claims that its virtual assistant, Siri, was eavesdropping on users without their consent.
The lawsuit alleged that Siri unintentionally recorded conversations and shared audio with advertisers, enabling targeted advertising.
Apple denies any wrongdoing, stating it did not record or disclose conversations without user consent.
The company also confirmed that all individual Siri audio recordings collected before October 2019 have been permanently deleted.
The plaintiffs claim that Siri sometimes activated unintentionally without the “Hey, Siri” command, recording users’ private conversations.
These recordings, they allege, were analyzed for keywords to enhance advertising strategies.
The settlement, which awaits court approval on February 14 in Oakland, California, involves a class action where claimants could receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device owned between 2014 and 2019.
Lawyers will claim nearly $30 million from the settlement as fees and expenses.
This is not Apple’s first major settlement. In January 2024, it began paying $500 million over allegations it deliberately slowed down iPhones, and in March, it agreed to a $490 million settlement over a UK-based class action.
By settling, Apple avoids the risk of a larger court judgment while maintaining its denial of any improper conduct.
