Apple to Pay $95 Million Settlement Over Siri Privacy Breach

Apple has agreed to a $95 million settlement in a class action lawsuit alleging unauthorized recordings by Siri violated user privacy. The settlement, which includes non-monetary commitments, was preliminarily filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and awaits final approval.

The case, Lopez et al. v. Apple Inc., originated in August 2019 when plaintiffs accused Apple of violating privacy laws, including the California Invasion of Privacy Act and the Wiretap Act, by allowing Siri to inadvertently record private conversations. Allegedly, these recordings were shared with third parties like advertisers. Specific claims included users receiving targeted ads for topics discussed privately.

Apple denies all allegations, asserting its actions were lawful. However, to avoid prolonged litigation, the company agreed to the settlement with the following key points:

• Monetary terms: The $95 million fund is non-reversionary, meaning any unclaimed funds will not return to Apple. Class members are eligible for payments up to $20 per Siri-enabled device. The settlement fund also covers attorneys' fees (up to $28.5 million), service awards for plaintiffs ($10,000 each), and administrative costs​​.
• Eligibility: The class period spans from September 17, 2014, to December 31, 2024. Eligible claimants include U.S. residents who owned Siri-enabled devices and experienced unintended Siri activations during private conversations​​.
• Non-monetary commitments: Apple will delete all individual Siri audio recordings collected before October 2019 and publish clearer explanations regarding its “Improve Siri” feature, detailing data collection practices and user opt-in procedures​​.

Judge Jeffrey S. White will oversee the settlement's approval process. Claims can be submitted via a dedicated settlement website, where users can also access additional details. The claim period will run for approximately 135 days following the court's preliminary approval​​.

Although Apple denies any wrongdoing, this settlement highlights increasing scrutiny over voice-assistant technologies. Apple, a leader in consumer electronics with a net income of $93.74 billion last fiscal year, would see this development as more of a reputation tarnishing than financial damage. CyberInsider has contacted Apple to request a statement about the settlement agreement, but we have not heard back as of publishing.

Meanwhile, users are advised to turn off voice assistant features when not in use and adjust their device settings to strengthen data privacy in general. Additionally, users should check app permissions for microphone access and revoke it as needed. Siri is integrated into multiple Apple apps and even the iOS itself, so focusing on universal settings is more practical.