Apple settles Siri privacy lawsuit for $95 million
Apple has recently made headlines by agreeing to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit related to privacy concerns with its Siri feature. The lawsuit alleged that Apple violated users’ privacy by allowing Siri to record conversations and share them with third parties without consent. This issue came to light in a 2019 report by The Guardian, where an anonymous whistleblower revealed that Apple contractors were listening to and sharing conversations, even those where Siri was unintentionally activated.
The recordings reportedly contained a range of private conversations, including those between doctors and patients, business deals, and personal matters. User data, such as location information, contact details, and app data, was also included with the recordings. While Apple acknowledged the practice in 2019, stating that user requests were not linked to Apple IDs and that Siri responses were analyzed in secure facilities, the company denied any wrongdoing as part of the settlement agreement.
Plaintiffs in the case claimed that their interactions with Siri led to targeted advertising, with mentions of specific topics resulting in ads for related products or services. The settlement will see tens of millions of class members receiving up to $20 for each Siri-enabled device they own. This comes as Apple reported a net income of nearly $94 billion in its most recent fiscal year, highlighting the scale of the settlement.
Despite Apple’s longstanding commitment to privacy, the lawsuit highlighted the potential risks associated with voice-activated features like Siri. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of understanding how our devices handle and process our personal information.
