Apple has agreed to a $95m (£77m) settlement over allegations that its virtual assistant, Siri, recorded users without their consent. The class-action lawsuit claimed Siri unintentionally activated, recording conversations and sharing them with advertisers, who then allegedly used keywords to target ads.
Apple denies any wrongdoing, asserting it has not improperly recorded or shared Siri audio. The company’s lawyers also confirmed that individual Siri audio recordings collected before October 2019 have been permanently deleted.
Lead plaintiff Fumiko Lopez alleged she and her daughter were recorded without permission, later receiving targeted ads after discussing products like Air Jordans.
The lawsuit involves a proposed settlement decision scheduled for 14 February 2025 in Northern California. Claimants, restricted to US residents, could receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device owned between 2014 and 2019. Legal fees amount to approximately $30m.
Class action lawsuits allow a few individuals to represent a larger group, with any settlement shared among all claimants. By settling, Apple avoids a court trial that could risk higher penalties.
This case is one of several Apple has faced recently. In January 2024, the tech giant began paying out $500m to resolve claims of deliberately slowing iPhones. In March, Apple agreed to a $490m settlement in the UK.
Apple’s revenue for the quarter ending 28 September 2024 reached $94.9bn. Similar lawsuits have been filed against other tech firms, including Google, which is currently facing a comparable case in the same court.
