Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit claiming the company’s virtual assistant, Siri, eavesdropped on users without their knowledge or consent. The proposed settlement, which still needs approval from a judge, is related to allegations that Siri recorded conversations and shared them with advertisers.
In 2019, The Wood Law Firm filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple after an article by The Guardian reported that Siri’s microphone was secretly turned on to record conversations without users’ knowledge. An investigation revealed that an iPhone software update in 2014 was intended to activate Siri only with specific words, but allegations persisted that the virtual assistant was listening and recording conversations at other times.
The lawsuit claimed Apple shared some of these recorded conversations with advertisers to improve their technology and connect with consumers who were likely to buy products. Up to $20 per Siri-enabled device could be paid out to eligible users, depending on how many claims are filed and costs are covered.
Apple denies any wrongdoing, but the company may have violated federal wiretapping laws. If true, Apple’s behavior could have been liable for up to $1.5 billion in damages. The settlement is likely due to the high costs of defending the case, as major companies often prefer to resolve class-action cases rather than risk bad publicity.
This settlement follows a similar lawsuit filed against Google and its Android virtual assistant, which is still active in court. Users can disable Siri’s microphone access by following simple steps or toggling it off in Settings for individual apps.
Source: https://wpde.com/news/nation-world/apple-agrees-to-95-million-settlement-of-snooping-siri-case-privacy-technology-lawsuit-judge-recording