Apple Agrees to $95M Settlement Over Siri Eavesdropping Allegations

Tech giant Apple has agreed to pay $95 million (£77 million) to settle a lawsuit accusing the company of eavesdropping on users through its virtual assistant, Siri. The case alleged that some Apple devices recorded conversations without user consent and shared the recordings with advertisers to target ads.  

Despite the settlement, Apple denies any wrongdoing. The company stated it did not “record, disclose to third parties, or fail to delete conversations recorded as a result of a Siri activation” without user consent. Apple also noted it had permanently deleted individual Siri audio recordings collected before October 2019.  

The claimants, led by Fumiko Lopez, argued that Siri sometimes activated unintentionally without the “Hey, Siri” command, recording private conversations without the users’ knowledge. They allege advertisers used these recordings to extract keywords and target advertising more effectively.  

Apple has not admitted to the claims but chose to settle the case, likely to avoid prolonged litigation. The settlement underscores ongoing concerns about privacy and data security in the use of voice-activated technologies.  

Further updates on the case and its implications for privacy standards in tech are expected in the coming weeks.