Apple Inc. has agreed to a $95 million settlement in response to a proposed class action lawsuit accusing the company’s Siri voice assistant of violating user privacy. The preliminary settlement, filed in the Oakland, California federal court, awaits approval from U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White.
The lawsuit claims that Siri frequently recorded private conversations inadvertently activated by “hot words” such as “Hey, Siri,” and allegedly shared this data with third parties, including advertisers.
Examples cited in the case include mentions of products like Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden triggering targeted ads, and private discussions about medical treatments leading to related advertisements. The alleged violations span the period from September 17, 2014, to December 31, 2024.
Eligible class members may receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device, covering products like iPhones and Apple Watches. Apple denies any wrongdoing but has agreed to the settlement terms.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs, who represent tens of millions of class members, are seeking up to $28.5 million in fees and $1.1 million in expenses from the settlement fund.
A similar lawsuit involving Google’s Voice Assistant remains ongoing in the San Jose federal court within the same district.
The case is Lopez et al v. Apple Inc., U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 19-04577.
