Apple Siri Eavesdropping Settlement: What You Need to Know to Claim Your Share of $95M
Would you like to earn some extra cash simply for using Siri on your Apple devices? If the answer is yes, you might be in luck! Apple has agreed to pay a massive $95 million to settle a lawsuit that accuses the tech giant of using its virtual assistant Siri to eavesdrop on users without their knowledge.
The proposed settlement, recently filed in an Oakland, California federal court, aims to put an end to a 5-year-old legal battle surrounding allegations that Apple’s Siri was secretly recording conversations through iPhones and other Siri-equipped devices for over a decade. Shockingly, these recordings were made even when users did not intend to activate the virtual assistant with the trigger phrase, “Hey, Siri.” Some of the recorded conversations were reportedly shared with advertisers to target consumers with personalized product offers.
This scandalous claim goes against Apple’s well-known commitment to safeguarding its customers’ privacy, a principle that CEO Tim Cook has championed as a fundamental human right. Despite the settlement, Apple is not admitting any wrongdoing and the agreement remains subject to approval by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White.
### How Much Can You Claim and Who Qualifies?
If the settlement gets the green light, millions of consumers who owned iPhones and other Apple devices between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024, will be eligible to file claims. Each user could potentially receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device covered by the settlement, although individual payouts might vary based on the total number of claims received. Estimates suggest that only a small percentage of eligible consumers, between 3% to 5%, will actually file claims.
Eligible consumers are limited to seeking compensation for a maximum of five devices. The $95 million settlement, while substantial, is a tiny fraction of Apple’s massive profits over the years. It’s also significantly less than the projected $1.5 billion Apple might have had to pay if found guilty of violating wiretapping and privacy laws in a trial scenario.
The attorneys representing consumers in this case are looking to claim up to $29.6 million from the settlement fund to cover their legal fees and related expenses, as detailed in court documents.
