Apple Settles Class Action Lawsuit for $95 Million Over Siri's Unintentional Activation and Privacy Violations

Jan 2, 2025, 04:36 PM

Apple Inc. has agreed to pay $95 million in cash to settle a proposed class action lawsuit that accused the company of violating user privacy through its voice-activated Siri assistant. The lawsuit claimed that Siri recorded private conversations when it was unintentionally activated due to the 'Hey Siri' feature, and shared the data with advertisers, leading to targeted ads for products like Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden restaurants. The settlement, filed in an Oakland, California federal court, covers the period from September 17, 2014, to December 31, 2024, and awaits approval from U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White. Apple denies any wrongdoing but has agreed to the settlement, which could see each of the tens of millions of class members receiving up to $20 per Siri-enabled device. The lawyers for the plaintiffs may seek up to $28.5 million in fees and $1.1 million for expenses from the settlement fund. A similar lawsuit against Google's Voice Assistant is pending in the San Jose, California federal court.