Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class action lawsuit that accused the tech giant of eavesdropping on users through their devices’ virtual assistant, Siri. The lawsuit, which has been in court for over five years, claimed that Apple secretly recorded private conversations when users accidentally activated Siri, without their knowledge or consent. These recordings were allegedly reviewed by human contractors to improve Siri’s performance or shared with third parties for targeted advertising. While Apple denies any wrongdoing, the settlement, which still needs court approval, mandates that the company delete all audio recordings gathered before October 2019 and compensate affected consumers.
As part of the settlement, millions of eligible Apple device owners, including iPhones and iPads, from 2014 to 2024, can file claims for up to $20 per device, with a maximum of five devices per consumer. Despite the potentially large number of affected users, experts predict that only a small percentage will file claims. The case has drawn attention due to the serious privacy concerns it raised, especially given that sensitive conversations, such as medical details and private moments, were reportedly among those reviewed by contractors. A final hearing on the settlement is scheduled for early February, but if approved, it will mark a significant resolution to a highly publicized privacy battle.
This blog is intended to provide information to the general public and to practitioners about developments that may impact Oregon class actions.
