Apple has reached an agreement to pay $95 million to resolve a lawsuit that accused the company, known for its commitment to privacy, of using its virtual assistant Siri to covertly listen in on users of its iPhones and other devices.
The settlement proposal, submitted to a federal court in Oakland, California, aims to put an end to a lawsuit that has been ongoing for five years. The legal action centers around claims that Apple secretly activated Siri to record conversations via iPhones and various other gadgets with the virtual assistant for over a decade.
The lawsuit contends that these recordings occurred even when users did not verbally prompt Siri with the activation phrase, “Hey, Siri.” Furthermore, it alleges that some of these recorded discussions were shared with advertisers in an effort to target consumers with products that would appeal to them.
Such claims regarding Siri’s alleged eavesdropping seem to contradict Apple’s longstanding dedication to safeguarding its customers’ privacy, a commitment that CEO Tim Cook has often described as a fundamental human right.
Apple, however, is not admitting to any wrongdoing in relation to the settlement, which still requires the approval of U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White. The attorneys involved in the case have suggested scheduling a court session in Oakland for February 14 to go over the settlement terms.
If the court gives its approval, millions of consumers who owned iPhones and other Apple devices between September 17, 2014, and the end of 2022 will be eligible to claim compensation. Each consumer could potentially receive up to $20 for each Siri-enabled device covered by the settlement, although this amount may fluctuate based on the total number of claims filed. Estimates suggest that only between 3% to 5% of eligible consumers will actually file a claim.
Those eligible will be restricted to claiming compensation for a maximum of five devices.
This settlement is merely a small portion of Apple’s substantial earnings, which have amounted to approximately $705 billion since September 2014. It also represents only a fraction of the estimated $1.5 billion that the lawyers representing the consumers argued Apple might have had to pay if the case had proceeded to trial and resulted in a finding that the company violated wiretapping and other privacy regulations.
According to court documents, the attorneys who initiated the lawsuit may request up to $29.6 million from the settlement fund for their legal fees and associated expenses.