Apple’s $95 million Siri settlement: What consumers could get and key details

Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit. The lawsuit accused Apple of turning Siri into a snoop. It claimed Siri eavesdropped on users of iPhones and other devices. This was seen as a betrayal of Apple’s commitment to personal privacy.

The proposed settlement was filed in federal court earlier this week, which needs to be approved by a judge. Here are a few things to know about the case and the privacy issues it raised.

What was the lawsuit about?

Apple was accused of allowing its virtual assistant Siri to eavesdrop on users without their consent, triggered by an investigation by The Guardian in 2019.

The lawsuit alleged Siri’s microphone recorded conversations without the users’ knowledge and potentially shared these with advertisers.

Apple denied the claims, maintaining its commitment to user privacy, but decided to settle the case.

How many people are covered by the settlement?

The settlement applies to tens of millions of US consumers who owned or purchased Siri-enabled devices between September 17, 2014, and the end of 2022.

How much money each eligible consumer receive?

Eligible consumers could receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device, with final payouts dependent on the number of claims and legal fees.

Legal fees, currently proposed at $30 million, could reduce the settlement fund significantly. A claims administrator estimates only 3%-5% of eligible consumers will file claims.l

Did Apple break any laws?

The lawsuit alleged Apple violated federal wiretapping laws and privacy protections, though Apple denied wrongdoing. Consumers’ lawyers argued Apple’s actions could have led to $1.5 billion in damages if found guilty in court. The $95 million settlement is a fraction of Apple’s total profits since 2014, which exceed $700 billion.

Do I need to worry about other devices spying on me?

Concerns persist about the potential of microphones in other devices. A similar lawsuit is ongoing against Google regarding its Android software’s virtual assistant.

Can I disable Siri?

You can turn Apple’s virtual assistant off by following these simple steps:

1. Navigate to Settings Siri & Search.

2. Toggle off Listen for ‘Hey Siri’ and press the Side button for Siri.

3. Tap Turn Off Siri when a pop-up window appears.

You can also disable individual apps’ access to your iPhone’s mic by doing the following: Navigate to Settings (select the app) then toggle off Microphone.

(WIth input from AP)