Apple has agreed to pay $95 million in cash to settle a proposed class action lawsuit alleging that the technology giant’s voice-activated Siri assistant violated user privacy.
The preliminary settlement on Thursday, January 2, was filed in federal court in Oakland, California, and requires approval by US District Judge Jeffrey White.
Mobile device owners have complained that Apple regularly recorded their private conversations after they inadvertently activated Siri. Also, in the relevant context, it was separately noted that the technology giant disclosed the mentioned data to third parties, such as advertisers.
As part of the standard functioning practice, voice assistants respond to so-called hot words. In this case, as an example, it can be mentioned the phrase Hello, Siri. At the same time, two plaintiffs claimed that their mentions of Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden restaurants triggered advertisements for these products. Another plaintiff said that he got ads for a brand-name surgical treatment after discussing it with his doctor, believing that the confidentiality of the conversation would be ensured.
The class period runs from September 17, 2014, to December 31, 2024. It began after Siri incorporated the Hey, Siri feature that allegedly led to the unauthorized recordings.
Class members, estimated in the tens of millions, may receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device.
Apple denied wrongdoing, agreeing to settle. The technology giant has not yet responded to a media request for comment on Thursday’s news.
According to media reports, plaintiffs’ lawyers can seek up to $28.5 million in fees and $1.1 million for expenses from the settlement fund.
As we have reported earlier, Apple Seeks to Defend Google’s Billion-Dollar Payments.
