Ever talked about something and then received a targeted ad on your phone moments later? Turns out you’re not imagining things. Apple has agreed to cough up $95 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of secretly listening to users through Siri without their permission.
Yep, the same virtual assistant you ask about the weather was allegedly snooping on private conversations—and now Apple’s paying up.
The lawsuit claimed Siri was unintentionally activated (even without the iconic “Hey, Siri” wake-up call) and recorded users’ conversations. Even worse? These recordings were allegedly shared with advertisers, who used them to push targeted ads based on keywords from those private chats.
Why Is Siri Being Accused Of Spying?
According to Forbes the scandal “dates back to 2019, when U.K. newspaper The Guardian reported that Apple employed contractors to listen to Siri recordings of private conversations including medical appointments, sexual encounters and drug deals.” writes Kate O’Flaherty.
One of the lead plaintiffs, Fumiko Lopez, said both she and her daughter experienced this firsthand. After casually chatting about products like Air Jordans, they noticed eerily specific ads showing up. Coincidence? They didn’t think so.
While Apple hasn’t admitted any wrongdoing, the settlement is a way to sidestep a lengthy (and potentially more expensive) court battle. In the preliminary agreement, the tech giant flatly denied claims that it “recorded, disclosed to third parties, or failed to delete, conversations recorded as the result of a Siri activation.”
In fact, Apple’s lawyers insist the company permanently deleted all Siri audio recordings collected before October 2019. But that didn’t stop the lawsuit from moving forward, as claimants allege Siri was still picking up unintentional activations and, worse, handing them over to advertisers.
If approved by the court in Northern California, each eligible claimant—U.S.-based Siri users with enabled devices from 2014 to 2019—could snag up to $20 per device. Lawyers, of course, are set to take their usual cut, amounting to nearly $30 million.
This isn’t Apple’s first class action rodeo. The company has been no stranger to legal challenges, from paying $500 million earlier this year for allegedly slowing down older iPhones to coughing up $490 million in a UK case over similar claims.
And it’s not just Apple under fire. Google is also facing a class action lawsuit in the same California court for allegedly pulling the same stunt: listening in on users via its smart devices.
For Apple, a $95 million payout may be a drop in the bucket (they raked in a cool $94.9 billion in revenue in just three months this year), but the case raises serious questions about how our data is being handled.
With tech giants increasingly facing scrutiny over privacy issues, one thing’s clear: our voices—and our data—are more valuable than ever. The question is, how safe are they in the hands of big tech?
So, Siri, are you really listening? Let’s just hope not.
Some of the products and services featured in this article may be from our affiliate partners, which means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through these links — at no extra cost to you. Our editorial team only spotlights what we genuinely love and think you will, too.
16 responses to “It Turns Out Siri WAS ‘Listening’: Apple Agrees to $95M Settlement Over Lawsuit”
-
… [Trackback]
[…] Find More Info here on that Topic: themodems.com/tech/apple-agrees-to-95m-settlement-over-siri-listening-lawsuit/ […]
-
… [Trackback]
[…] Read More to that Topic: themodems.com/tech/apple-agrees-to-95m-settlement-over-siri-listening-lawsuit/ […]
-
… [Trackback]
[…] Find More on that Topic: themodems.com/tech/apple-agrees-to-95m-settlement-over-siri-listening-lawsuit/ […]
-
… [Trackback]
[…] Find More here on that Topic: themodems.com/tech/apple-agrees-to-95m-settlement-over-siri-listening-lawsuit/ […]
-
… [Trackback]
[…] Here you will find 73554 more Info on that Topic: themodems.com/tech/apple-agrees-to-95m-settlement-over-siri-listening-lawsuit/ […]
-
… [Trackback]
[…] There you will find 44294 more Info to that Topic: themodems.com/tech/apple-agrees-to-95m-settlement-over-siri-listening-lawsuit/ […]
-
This should be a required read.
-
Great job, keep it up!
-
Well explained and easy to follow.
-
It was a pleasure reading this.
-
I love the structure of your explanation.
-
Well explained and easy to follow.
-
You really know your stuff.
-
This was very enlightening.
-
… [Trackback]
[…] Find More Information here to that Topic: themodems.com/tech/apple-agrees-to-95m-settlement-over-siri-listening-lawsuit/ […]
-
… [Trackback]
[…] Here you can find 47503 more Information on that Topic: themodems.com/tech/apple-agrees-to-95m-settlement-over-siri-listening-lawsuit/ […]
Leave a Comment