Apple has suggested a $95 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit about its Siri voice assistant. The lawsuit started after it was revealed that Siri sometimes recorded conversations by mistake, which might have been listened to by contractors.
The class-action lawsuit was started because of a 2019 report about Apple’s third-party contractors. These contractors were responsible for checking the quality of Siri, which involved listening to recorded user interactions. The report claimed they often heard sensitive information, like private medical details and personal conversations.
Even though Siri is supposed to be turned on only with a specific voice command, according to the lawsuit, it was often activated by mistake. While it’s surprising that Apple kept the recordings, technically, the device is always listening; it’s just not always recording. The device is listening for its wake word, and the issues seemed to stem from its recording before the wake word was said.
A whistleblower mentioned that even ordinary sounds could accidentally trigger the voice assistant. Apple replied that only a small portion of Siri recordings were listened to by contractors. Later, the company apologized and announced that it would stop keeping audio recordings. In this case, the plaintiffs, including a minor, claimed that their iPhones recorded them multiple times using Siri, sometimes without any spoken command. This suggests that the problem goes beyond just accidental activations, since users said Siri recorded them even without them saying a wake word.
If a judge approves the settlement, eligible Apple device owners in the US could receive compensation of up to $20 for up to five devices. To be eligible for compensation, you need to have owned or bought a Siri-enabled Apple product between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024. This includes devices like iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, MacBooks, iMacs, HomePods, iPod touches, and Apple TVs.
You also have to confirm under oath that Siri accidentally activated while you were having a private or confidential conversation. The amount you might receive could change based on how many successful claims there are, so it might be less than the maximum amount available. Reuters pointed out that the total Apple is offering, $95 million, is about nine hours of profit for Apple. Apple’s net income in its latest fiscal year was $93.74 billion.
Sources: Reuters, The Verge, Lopez v. Apple, Inc.