January 3, 2025 – Apple Inc. has agreed to pay $95 million in cash to settle a proposed class-action lawsuit alleging that its Siri voice assistant invaded users’ privacy, Reuters reported today.
The tech giant submitted a preliminary settlement agreement to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on Tuesday, pending approval from Judge Jeffrey White.
The settlement covers U.S. Siri users from September 17, 2014, to December 31, 2024, potentially encompassing tens of millions of individuals. This timeframe aligns with the introduction of the “Hey Siri” feature.
Each eligible user can claim compensation for up to five Siri-enabled devices, such as iPhones and Apple Watches, with a maximum payout of $20 per device. The actual payout will depend on the total number of valid claims. Apple plans to launch a settlement website within 45 days to identify eligible claimants, with a claims deadline of May 15, 2025.
The lawsuit alleged that Siri was activating unexpectedly, recording private conversations, and sharing them with third parties like advertisers. Plaintiffs in the case claimed to have received targeted ads based on their private Siri conversations.
Apple, while agreeing to the settlement, denied any wrongdoing. Attorneys for the plaintiffs may seek up to 28.5millionplus1.1 million in expenses from the settlement fund. Neither Apple nor the lawyers involved have commented on the matter.
