Apple Settles for $95 Million: A Payout for Siri’s Eavesdropping Scandal

Apple has consented to disburse $95 million USD in cash to users asserting that its voice-activated assistant, Siri, has infringed upon their privacy in a proposed class-action lawsuit, as reported by Reuters.

In its settlement agreement, which was submitted in federal court in Oakland, California, on Tuesday evening, Apple refuted any wrongdoing. The settlement now awaits approval from U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White. According to the outlet, the $95 million USD payout represents roughly nine hours of profit for the tech giant based in California.

If the settlement is approved, individuals who purchased a Siri-enabled iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, iMac, HomePod, iPod Touch, or Apple TV in the United States between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024, may receive $20 USD per device for a maximum of five devices, although the final payouts will rely on the total number of claims. Importantly, device owners will also have to affirm under oath that they unintentionally activated Siri in a context they believed to be private.

In the lawsuit, two complainants indicated that after discussing Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden restaurants in real life, ads for those items began appearing on their devices. Another complainant received an offer for a particular medical treatment following a conversation he thought was private with his doctor.

Apple is not alone in facing litigation concerning its voice-activated assistant technology. Google is currently encountering a similar lawsuit from its voice assistant users, represented by the same law firms involved in the Siri case.