Apple settles Siri privacy lawsuit for $95 million

Investing.com -- Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL ) has agreed to a cash settlement of $95 million in a proposed class action lawsuit, which alleged that the tech giant's voice-activated assistant Siri violated user privacy. The preliminary settlement was filed in the federal court of Oakland, California on Tuesday, and now awaits approval from U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White.

Owners of mobile devices raised complaints that Apple was regularly recording their private conversations when Siri was unintentionally activated. These recorded conversations were reportedly disclosed to third parties, including advertisers. Voice assistants like Siri usually respond to specific "hot words", such as "Hey, Siri."

Two of the plaintiffs in the case claimed that their conversations about Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden restaurants led to them receiving ads for these products. Another plaintiff reported getting advertisements for a specific surgical treatment after discussing it privately with his doctor.

The class action period spans from Sept. 17, 2014 to Dec. 31, 2024. This period started when Siri began using the "Hey, Siri" feature, which is alleged to have led to these unauthorized recordings.

The class members, estimated to be in the tens of millions, could receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device, such as iPhones and Apple Watches. Despite agreeing to the settlement, Apple has denied any wrongdoing.

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Source: Investing.com