Apple Settles £77M Lawsuit Over Alleged Siri Eavesdropping

• Apple has settled for £77 million over accusations that Siri was eavesdropping and sharing voice recordings with advertisers.
• While denying any wrongdoing, the settlement confirms that Apple removed Siri audio recordings collected before October 2019.
• Individuals making claims could receive up to $20 per device, though lawyers will pocket nearly $30 million in fees and expenses.

Apple has agreed to pay £77 million ($95 million) to settle a lawsuit claiming some of its devices were listening in on people without their consent.

Apple was accused of secretly listening in on its customers via its virtual assistant, Siri. The claimants also say that voice recordings were shared with advertisers. While Apple denies any wrongdoing, the company has been asked for a comment.

As part of the preliminary settlement, the tech company denies any wrongdoing, including claims that it “recorded, disclosed to third parties, or failed to delete conversations triggered by Siri” without user consent.

Apple’s lawyers have stated that they will confirm the company has “permanently deleted individual Siri audio recordings collected by Apple before October 2019.”

However, the claimants argue that the tech giant recorded people who unintentionally activated Siri without using the “Hey, Siri” wake phrase. 

They also claim that advertisers, who received these recordings, could search for keywords to better target ads. 

The lead plaintiff, Fumiko Lopez, says that both she and her daughter were recorded without their consent, and they allege they were served targeted ads after discussing products like Air Jordans.

Class Action 

Apple has proposed February 14 as the decision date in a Northern California court. In class action lawsuits, a small group of people represent a larger group, and if they win, the settlement is distributed to all claimants.

Court documents suggest that U.S.-based claimants could receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device they owned between 2014 and 2019. The lawyers in the case could take 30% of the total fee plus expenses, which adds up to nearly $30 million.

By settling, Apple denies any wrongdoing but also avoids the risk of a costly court battle that could result in a much higher payout.

Apple generated $94.9 billion in revenue during the three months leading up to September 28, 2024.

In recent years, the California-based company has faced several class action lawsuits. In January 2024, Apple began paying out in a $500 million lawsuit that claimed the company deliberately slowed down iPhones in the U.S.

In March, Apple agreed to pay $490 million in a class action led by Norfolk County Council in the UK.

Additionally, in November, consumer group Which? initiated a class action against Apple, accusing the company of overcharging customers through its iCloud service.

Interestingly, the same law firm that is suing Apple is also pursuing a similar class action against Google. This lawsuit accuses Google of listening to its customers through its devices. The case is currently proceeding in the same Northern California court.