Apple settles for Siri eavesdropping scandal for $95m
A proposed $95 million settlement is intended to resolve a five-year-old lawsuit against Apple over its virtual assistant Siri. The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Oakland, California, accused Apple of using Siri to secretly record conversations on iPhones and other devices even when users did not explicitly activate it with the command “Hey, Siri”.
The lawsuit claimed that these recordings were then shared with advertisers to target consumers with more relevant products and services. This claim contradicts Apple’s long-held position on user privacy, which CEO Tim Cook often sees as a fundamental human right. While Apple maintains that it did nothing wrong, the proposed settlement, which has yet to be approved by US District Judge Jeffrey White, could result in tens of millions of consumers who owned Apple devices equipped with Siri between September 2014 and late last year receiving compensation.
Each eligible consumer could potentially receive up to $20 per device covered by the settlement, although this amount could fluctuate based on the number of claims filed. Estimates suggest that only a small percentage of eligible consumers will likely file a claim. Participants may seek compensation for up to five devices.
This settlement represents a relatively small portion of the significant profits Apple has made since September 2014 and pales in comparison to the estimated $1.5 billion in damages that plaintiffs’ lawyers say could have been awarded if the case went to trial and Apple was held liable for violating wiretapping and privacy laws. The lawyers who filed the lawsuit want up to $29.6 million from the settlement fund to cover their legal fees and other expenses. A hearing is scheduled for 14 February in Oakland to discuss the terms of the proposed settlement.
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