Apple has agreed to a $95 million settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit accusing its Siri voice assistant of unintentionally recording private conversations. The lawsuit claimed that Siri’s “Hey, Siri” activation feature sometimes recorded user discussions without their knowledge, with some of the data allegedly shared with advertisers. The settlement, filed in federal court in Oakland, California, awaits approval from U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White.
The legal battle began in 2019 after reports suggested Siri may have been capturing conversations outside its intended activation. The case brought to light potential violations of privacy, sparking concerns about data security in voice-activated technology. While Apple denies any wrongdoing, the company has agreed to settle to avoid prolonged litigation and further scrutiny of its privacy practices.
If approved, the settlement will provide compensation of up to $20 per Siri-enabled device to eligible U.S. users who owned affected Apple products between 2014 and 2022. Although this payout represents a fraction of Apple’s vast profits, the case highlights ongoing challenges in balancing innovation with privacy in the tech industry.
