Apple reached a $95 million settlement on Tuesday, Dec. 31, over a lawsuit accusing the tech giant of using its virtual assistant Siri to secretly record Apple users’ conversations via iPhones and other Apple devices. The lawsuit alleged that the recordings occurred even when people did not activate the virtual assistant using the key phrase: “Hey, Siri.”
The lawsuit goes on to claim that some of the recorded conversations were shared with advertisers in the hopes they would sell their products to interested customers. The allegations are in conflict with Apple’s long-running pledge to protect its customers privacy.
As part of the settlement, Apple does not have to admit any wrongdoing. The deal must be approved by a federal judge, and lawyers have proposed a Feb. 14 court hearing to review the legal terms.
If the settlement is approved by the federal judge, the agreement would award money to tens of thousands of Apple users who owned iPhones and other Apple devices from Sept. 17, 2014, through the end of last year.
Each person would reportedly get $20 for each Siri-equipped device covered in the settlement, but would be limited to five devices they claim. The payment may be higher or lower depending on the number of claims filed. Court documents show that only 3% to 5% of eligible Apple customers are expected to file claims.
Lawyers who brought the lawsuit against Apple assert that the $95 million settlement reached is only a small fraction of the roughly $1.5 billion Apple would have paid if it were found guilty of violating wiretapping and privacy laws had the case gone to trial.
