Apple Pays $95 Million To Settle Siri Lawsuit

Apple has agreed to settle a privacy lawsuit in the United States, that centred around its voice-activated Siri personal assistant.

Reuters reported that Apple has agreed to pay $95 million in cash to settle a proposed class action lawsuit claiming that Siri had violated users’ privacy, after it had been unintentionally activated during private conservations.

Apple of course did not develop Siri itself. It actually acquired Siri Inc back in 2010, after that company had developed the personal assistant in 2007. Apple first incorporated Siri into its iPhone 4S handsets in 2011.

Settlement reached

Apple recently attempted to breathe new life into Siri in 2024 when it was integrated with OpenAI’s ChatGPT as part of the Apple Intelligence makeover.

‘Apple Intelligence’ is the tech giant’s name for its AI move announced in June 2024, that brings OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot integration to iPads, iPhones, Vision Pro headsets and Macs.

Now Reuters has reported that a preliminary settlement was filed on Tuesday night in the Oakland, California federal court, and requires approval by US District Judge Jeffrey White.

It reported that mobile device owners had complained that Apple routinely recorded their private conversations after they activated Siri unintentionally, and disclosed these conversations to third parties such as advertisers.

Voice assistants typically react when people use “hot words” or “wake words” such as “Hey, Siri.”

Privacy lawsuit

Two plaintiffs reportedly alleged their mentions of Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden restaurants triggered ads for those products.

Another plaintiff alleged he got adverts for a brand name surgical treatment after discussing it, he thought privately, with his doctor.

The lawsuit indicates that from 17 September 2014 to 31 December 2024, issues began when Siri incorporated the ‘Hey, Siri’ wake world that allegedly led to the unauthorised recordings.

Class members, estimated in the tens of millions, may receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device, such as iPhones and Apple Watches.

Apple reportedly denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle.

Other actions

It should be noted that Apple is not alone in facing a lawsuit over its personal voice assistant.

A similar lawsuit on behalf of users of Google’s Voice Assistant is pending in the San Jose, California federal court.

The plaintiffs are represented by the same law firms as in the Apple case.

Apple meanwhile has faced legal action before over Siri.

For example in July 2012 Apple was sued by a Shanghai-based company known as ‘Zhizhen Network Technology’ (also known as Xiao-i). It claimed that Apple’s Siri infringed on its patents.

In 2014 Apple lost that case when the Beijing First Intermediate Court ruled against it.

Apple said at the time it intended to appeal, and in 2015 the High Court in Beijing ruled Apple’s Siri did not infringe Zhizhen’s patent.

However in August 2020 Xiao-i again filed a lawsuit against Apple, alleging it has infringed on its patents, seeking $1.43 billion (10 billion yuan) in damages.