Apple may pay $20 per device to users affected by Siri spying allegations. Click here for target audience … (+)
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Apple users could soon be eligible for a cash payout after the iPhone maker agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class action lawsuit involving allegations of Siri eavesdropping.
According to Reuters, the preliminary settlement, filed in Oakland, California, on December 13, 2024, is currently awaiting approval by a U.S. district judge.
The suit alleges that Apple violated privacy by capturing Siri conversations when the voice assistant was accidentally activated and sharing that information with advertisers. The story dates back to 2019, when British newspaper The Guardian reported that Apple hired a contractor to ask Siri to listen to recordings of private conversations, including medical appointments, sexual encounters, and drug deals.
Apple was in hot water at the time because the iPhone maker said it could listen to Siri recordings, but didn’t explicitly say there was a human oversight on the voice assistant. A new Siri lawsuit alleges that Apple failed to notify people that Siri was being regularly recorded without their consent.
In the latest Siri eavesdropping case, two plaintiffs mentioned Air Jordan shoes and claimed their iPhones displayed ads for the product. Another claimed to have received a medical advertisement after discussing a particular surgical treatment with a doctor.
So, if a district judge approves a Siri eavesdropping settlement, who will be eligible to receive a payout? And what should you do to ensure your privacy when using Apple’s voice assistant? Or?
Who is eligible to receive a Siri eavesdropping bounty?
Now that the lawsuit has been settled and has received preliminary approval, Siri users will likely be able to file claims. To be eligible, you must be located in the U.S. and own an Apple device between September 17, 2014 and December 31, 2024. A website to confirm this will be launched within 45 days, followed by a period until May. Submit your claim by 15, 2025.
How much will Apple pay Siri users?
Apple pays Siri users $20, but the good news is that you can file a claim for up to 5 devices for each device you use, or $100 total. Depending on the number of claims filed and approved, settlement payments can be higher.
Siri eavesdropping—should you ditch your voice assistant after these claims?
It’s important to note that Apple has not admitted any wrongdoing in the Siri eavesdropping scandal, and there is no concrete evidence that the iPhone maker passed the recordings on to advertisers. Apple says the data is collected solely to improve Siri, and is anonymized and not tied to any specific user.
According to the filing, Apple “continues to deny any and all wrongdoing and liability and, in particular, denies Plaintiffs’ respective claims and allegations and continues to deny that Plaintiffs’ claims and allegations are subject to any class action.” Ta. .
The iPhone maker only settled the Siri lawsuit to avoid costly legal fees.
I have reached out to Apple for further comment and will update this article if I hear back.
And the good news is that Apple offers plenty of privacy settings to prevent Siri from eavesdropping on your conversations. First, voice assistant data collection for analysis is now opt-in only, a change made in 2019 as originally claimed.
If you’re really worried about Siri eavesdropping, you can turn off the voice assistant completely. Apple is increasing its use of artificial intelligence (AI) to power Siri, and some users may not be happy about it.
