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Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging that its Siri voice assistant violated users’ privacy.
According to a report by ARY News on Thursday, the preliminary settlement, filed in Oakland, California, requires approval from U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White.
The lawsuit claims Apple recorded users’ private conversations unintentionally triggered by Siri and shared them with third parties, such as advertisers. Voice assistants like Siri typically activate when users say “hot words” such as “Hey, Siri.”
Some plaintiffs reported receiving targeted ads after private conversations. For instance, mentions of Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden allegedly triggered related advertisements. Another plaintiff claimed to receive ads for a surgical treatment after discussing it with a doctor.
The class action covers users from September 17, 2014, to December 31, 2024, when Siri’s “Hey, Siri” feature was introduced. Eligible users could receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device, including iPhones and Apple Watches.
Apple denied any wrongdoing in the settlement, which amounts to roughly nine hours of the company’s profits. Lawyers for the plaintiffs are seeking up to $28.5 million in fees and $1.1 million for expenses from the settlement fund.
Meanwhile, a similar lawsuit against Google’s Voice Assistant is ongoing in San Jose, California, with the same legal teams representing the plaintiffs.
The case, Lopez et al v. Apple Inc., is being heard in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California.
