Apple to pay users $95M after Siri 'unintentionally' recorded conversations
What's the story
Apple has agreed to a $95 million settlement in a lawsuit that accused its voice assistant, Siri, of routinely recording private conversations.
The recordings were allegedly shared with third parties and used for targeted advertising.
The proposed class-action settlement comes after five years of litigation and doesn't involve an admission of wrongdoing by Apple.
Instead, it refers to "unintentional" activations of Siri following the introduction of the "Hey, Siri" feature in 2014.
Unintended activations
Whistleblower reveals unintended Siri activations
In July 2019, a whistleblower told The Guardian that Siri could be activated unintentionally, say, when an Apple Watch was raised and speech detected.
Reportedly, users noticed unusually accurate targeted ads related to items or brands they had recently discussed.
This class-action lawsuit, Lopez v. Apple Inc., was filed by three plaintiffs who alleged that Apple had programmed Siri to record conversations even without the trigger phrase "Hey, Siri."
Compensation plan
Apple's proposed compensation for affected customers
The precise number of customers affected by this problem is not known.
If the settlement gets approved, Apple has offered to pay up to $20 per Siri-enabled device for any customers who made purchases between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024.
This covers iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, Apple Watches, HomePods, iPod touches, and Apple TVs. Each customer can file claims for up to five devices.
A hearing when the settlement could be approved is currently scheduled for February 14.
Potential fines
Settlement could have been higher under Wiretap Act
The settlement potentially saves Apple from a larger penalty.
Had the court certified the class action and affected users won, the company could've been fined over $1.5 billion under the Wiretap Act alone, court filings showed.
However, lawyers representing Apple users opted to settle due to uncertainties in data privacy law and potential risks that a new decision could alter the legal landscape regarding class certification, liability, and damages.
Denial
Apple's response to allegations of privacy violation
Apple has always denied the allegations, claiming that "there are no facts, much less plausible facts, that tie Plaintiffs's receipt of targeted ads to their speculation that Siri must have been listening to their conversations."
Through the settlement agreement, however, Apple finally conceded that Siri recorded private conversations unintentionally and is probably hoping the settlement will finally put the controversy to rest once and for all.
Siri's accidental recordings were first revealed by The Guardian in 2019, plaintiffs' complaint stated.