Siri Privacy Violation Lawsuit: Apple Agrees to Pay $95 Million in Compensation

A large number of users were preparing to file a class-action lawsuit against Apple over allegations of privacy violations. However, to avoid legal complexities, Apple has agreed to settle the matter by paying $95 million in compensation.

A "class-action" lawsuit is one where a single individual files the case as a plaintiff but represents other victims who have experienced similar incidents. If the plaintiff wins such a case, the benefits of the verdict apply to all affected individuals.

Last Thursday (January 2), a preliminary settlement proposal was filed in the federal court in Oakland, California, awaiting approval from Judge Jeffrey White. The information was reported by Reuters.

Siri, the AI voice assistant, has been accused of secretly listening to users' conversations and sharing the data with third-party advertisers to display advertisements on users' phones that align with the collected information.

In September 2021, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Apple. Earlier, in February 2021, the foundation for this case was established. However, due to insufficient evidence, the case was dismissed at that time. When the lawsuit was refiled later, serious allegations were brought against Apple.

Two plaintiffs in the case alleged that after mentioning the names of Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden restaurants, they saw advertisements promoting those items. Additionally, another plaintiff claimed that Apple records users' conversations, even when Siri is accidentally activated, capturing those discussions. One complainant stated that after discussing surgery with his doctor friend, he started seeing advertisements related to surgery on his phone. This has been cited as a significant example of violating user privacy.

Since the lawsuit was filed in 2021, Apple has consistently denied all these allegations. However, more than three years later, Apple has now agreed to settle the case.

Apple has decided to pay $95 million in compensation to affected users. Users whose conversations were recorded between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024, will be eligible to receive up to $20 in compensation.

However, neither Apple nor the plaintiffs' attorneys have made any comments on the matter so far.