Is Siri Listening Too Much? Apple Agrees to $95 Million Settlement Over Privacy Concerns

Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to resolve a lawsuit alleging its Siri voice assistant violated user privacy. The settlement, which still requires court approval, was filed in a federal court in Oakland, California.

Is Siri always listening?

The lawsuit claimed Siri sometimes recorded private conversations unintentionally, later sharing this data with third parties, including advertisers. Users reported incidents where discussions about specific topics—like sneakers, restaurants, or even medical treatments—resulted in targeted ads for those products or services.

The dispute revolves around Siri's "Hey, Siri" activation feature, introduced in September 2014. This class action lawsuit includes millions of Apple device owners from September 2014 to December 2024, who could be eligible for compensation of up to $20 per device.

Settlement without admission

Apple has denied any wrongdoing but opted for a settlement to resolve the matter. The company’s lawyers, as well as those representing the plaintiffs, have not yet commented publicly. Legal fees and expenses from the settlement could reach nearly $30 million.

This case highlights growing concerns about the unintended consequences of voice-activated technology. A similar lawsuit against Google’s voice assistant is also underway in California, involving the same legal team.

For Apple, the $95 million payout amounts to roughly nine hours of its annual profit, which stood at $93.74 billion last year.

(With Reuters Inputs)