Breaking: Apple Pays $95M in Siri Privacy Lawsuit Settlement

Company
Apple

Why
Privacy

Total Settlement Amount
$95M

Maximum Individual Claimant Award
TBA

Claim Deadline
May 15, 2025

A staggering $95 million - that's what Apple must pay to settle a major privacy lawsuit over Siri recordings. We've been following Apple’s Siri lawsuit closely, as it raises serious questions about our voice assistant privacy expectations.

Above all, this Apple settlement marks a significant turning point in how tech giants handle our voice data. The Apple Siri class action lawsuit claimed that Siri recorded conversations without consent. Consequently, we'll examine the settlement details, explore the privacy allegations, and analyze what this means for millions of iPhone users.

Settlement Details and Eligibility

Initially, the settlement awaits approval from a U.S. district judge in Oakland, California federal court. The Apple Siri lawsuit settlement offers compensation to tens of millions of eligible U.S. Apple device owners.

We want to outline the key eligibility criteria for the apple settlement:

• Must be a U.S.-based Apple device owner

• Owned Siri-enabled device between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024

Furthermore, eligible devices include iPhones, iPads, HomePod speakers, Mac computers, Apple Watches, and Apple TVs. Specifically, users can claim up to $20 per device, with a maximum claim limit of five devices, potentially receiving up to $100 total.

Additionally, the settlement includes requirements for Apple to confirm deletion of Siri audio recordings collected before October 2019. A dedicated claims website will be established within 45 days, and users have until May 15, 2025, to submit their claims. The final payout amount may vary depending on the total number of approved claims.

Privacy Allegations Against Apple

The privacy concerns surrounding the Apple Siri privacy lawsuit emerged after a shocking revelation in 2019. The Guardian exposed that Apple's contractors regularly heard confidential information while evaluating Siri's responses for quality control.

Particularly concerning were the allegations that Siri recorded private conversations without user consent. Users reported being targeted with advertisements for products they had only discussed privately when Siri had accidentally activated. Moreover, two plaintiffs received targeted ads for Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden restaurants after private discussions, while another received surgical treatment advertisements following a confidential conversation with their doctor.

The scope of these privacy issues includes:

• Contractors accessing sensitive personal and medical information

• Accidental activations triggered by ordinary sounds

• Unauthorized sharing of recordings with third-party marketers

• Recording conversations without wake word activation

Apple initially maintained that only a small portion of Siri recordings were reviewed by contractors. In response to mounting concerns, Apple temporarily suspended its grading program. The company then implemented significant changes, including stopping the retention of audio recordings by default and requiring explicit user opt-in for participation in Siri improvements.

Legal Implications and Apple's Response

Despite the substantial settlement, we've learned that Apple maintains its stance of denying any wrongdoing in the Siri privacy case. Primarily, the company states that data collection serves only to improve Siri's functionality, with all information being anonymized.

The company has introduced features allowing users to delete their Siri history and manage app permissions. Similarly, users can now opt out of data collection by navigating to their device settings.

Apple now emphasizes that Siri is designed to process as much data as possible directly on users' devices. Furthermore, when data is sent to Apple's servers, it's associated with a random identifier rather than the user's Apple ID.

The settlement, though significant at $95 million, represents only a fraction of what Apple could have faced in court - estimated at approximately $1.5 billion had they lost at trial.

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This class action is still in progress with the settlement payout amount not decided yet. You can sign-up for Actumo’s free newsletter to be notified of updates. We can send you news and the claim form when it is available for you to apply. Sign-up below and you can unsubscribe at anytime.