Apple has agreed to pay $95 million (£76.5m) to settle a lawsuit accusing it of secretly recording conversations through Siri, its voice assistant.
The lawsuit alleged that Apple activated Siri without user consent and used recorded conversations to target users with advertisements.
Siri, available on iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices, is designed to respond when users say "Hey Siri". However, the lawsuit claimed Siri was activated without permission and recorded private conversations for more than a decade. Some of these recordings were allegedly shared with advertisers to enhance targeted marketing.
The allegations conflict with Apple's strong stance on privacy, with CEO Tim Cook previously calling data protection a “fundamental human right.” Despite settling, Apple has not admitted any wrongdoing.
If the court approves the settlement, millions of Apple users who owned Siri-enabled devices from September 17, 2014, to late 2023 can claim compensation. Each user may receive up to $20 per device, with a limit of five devices per person. However, the final amount will depend on the number of claims submitted.
Legal estimates suggest that only 3% to 5% of eligible users will file claims. Had Apple been found guilty at trial, fines could have reached $1.5 billion ($1.2bn).
Apple users impacted by the issue should stay alert for official claim submission details once the settlement is finalized.
