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US tech giant Apple has agreed to pay a US$95 million settlement, addressing a class action that alleged that the company’s “Siri” voice assistant collected user conversations without their consent.
The class action was launched against the Cupertino-based firm after a number of device owners said that Siri would record conversations after being activated on accident, adding that these conversations were then disclosed to advertisers to personalise marketing.
The case goes back to 2019, when The Guardian in the UK reported that Apple had hired contractors to listen to private conversations captured by Siri, which included the discussion of sexual acts, medical appointments and drug deals.
While Apple had revealed that Siri recordings could be listened to, there was no mention of direct human contractors listening.
The latest lawsuit claims that Apple never told its users that their conversations were being recorded.
As reported by Forbes, two plaintiffs claimed that after speaking about Nike Air Jordan shoes, their devices displayed ads for them, while another said a private conversation with his doctor involving a specific treatment was then advertised to him on his phone.
While Apple has not admitted fault in any way, and there is no conclusive evidence that the conversations were being sent to advertisers, the company has agreed to a US$95 million settlement.
The company said it “continues to deny any and all alleged wrongdoing and liability, specifically denies each of the plaintiffs’ contentions and claims, and continues to deny that the plaintiffs’ claims and allegations would be suitable for class action status,” according to the filing.
The settlement will be available for US Apple users who had a device with Siri from between 17 September 2014 and 31 December 2024.
Users will need to swear under oath that Siri activated on accident and recorded a private conversation.
Siri users will receive US$20 per case; however, users can claim up to five affected devices.
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