Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the privacy-conscious company of spreading its virtual assistant, Siri. To eavesdrop For people who use iPhone and other modern devices.
The proposed settlement filed Tuesday in federal court in Oakland, California, would resolve a 5-year-old lawsuit revolving around allegations that Apple surreptitiously activated Siri to record conversations across iPhones and other devices equipped with the virtual assistant for more than a decade.
The alleged recordings occurred even when people did not seek to activate the virtual assistant using the trigger words, “Hey Siri.” Some of the recorded conversations were then shared with advertisers in an attempt to sell their products to consumers who were more likely to sell them. The lawsuit asserted that the company was interested in the goods and services.
Claims about a snoopy Siri run counter to Apple’s long-standing commitment to it Privacy protection of its customers — a crusade often portrayed by CEO Tim Cook as a battle to preserve a “fundamental human right.”
Apple did not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement, which still needs approval by US District Judge Jeffrey White. Lawyers in the case have proposed scheduling a hearing on February 14 in Auckland to review the conditions.
If the settlement is approved, tens of millions of consumers who owned iPhones and other Apple devices from September 17, 2014 through the end of last year could file claims. Each consumer could get up to $20 per Siri-equipped device covered by the settlement, though the amount could be reduced or increased, depending on the size of the claims. Only 3% to 5% of eligible consumers are expected to file claims, according to estimates in court documents.
Consumers eligible to seek reimbursement will be limited to a maximum of five devices.
The settlement represents a small portion of the $705 billion in profits Apple has taken since September 2014. It is also a small portion of the roughly $1.5 billion that lawyers representing consumers estimated Apple could be required to pay if the company is found to be violating wiretaps. Phone calls. And other privacy laws have sent the case to trial.
The attorneys who filed the lawsuit may request up to $29.6 million from the settlement fund to cover their fees and other expenses, according to court documents.
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