Apple has agreed to a $95 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit alleging that the company’s practices regarding Siri recordings violated user privacy. The lawsuit, filed in 2019, claimed that Apple recorded user interactions with Siri without explicit consent and shared this data with third-party contractors, including advertisers.
The lawsuit alleged that these recordings captured sensitive information, such as medical details, business discussions, and even personal conversations. It argued that Apple failed to adequately inform users about the extent of Siri recordings and their use.
While Apple maintained that any recordings were anonymized and used solely to improve Siri’s performance, the lawsuit contended that users should have a clear choice to opt in or out of Siri recording.
In response to the lawsuit, Apple suspended its Siri grading program and implemented changes to its data collection practices. These changes included no longer retaining audio recordings by default, allowing users to opt out of sharing Siri recordings, and providing the ability to delete existing recordings.
The settlement, which covers the period from September 17, 2014, to December 31, 2024, offers compensation to users potentially affected by these practices. Individual users could receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device they own, potentially reaching tens of millions of users.
This settlement underscores the growing importance of data privacy and transparency in the tech industry. As virtual assistants like Siri become increasingly integrated into our lives, ensuring user privacy and providing clear control over data collection will remain crucial considerations for tech companies.
