Accused of Siri Eavesdropping, Apple Pays Massive Settlement Without Admitting Allegations

According to media reports on January 3, Apple submitted a proposed settlement worth $95 million to the federal court in Oakland, California, on December 31, 2024.

In the proposed settlement, Apple did not admit to the plaintiffs' allegations. The $95 million settlement represents only a tiny fraction of Apple’s $705 billion profit since September 2014. Even compared to the potential $1.5 billion penalty Apple could have faced for violating personal data protection laws, the settlement amount is relatively small.

Under the settlement, consumers who used Apple devices equipped with Siri—such as iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches—from September 17, 2014, to last year are eligible for $20 per device. Each individual can claim compensation for up to five devices. Court documents estimate that only 3% to 5% of eligible consumers are likely to file claims. Additionally, claimants must have purchased and owned the devices within the United States and swear under oath that they inadvertently activated Siri during private or confidential conversations.

The plaintiffs alleged that Siri was secretly activated even when users did not use voice commands, eavesdropping on their conversations. Portions of these conversations were allegedly shared with companies for advertising purposes. For example, some users reported receiving targeted ads about a specific brand of sneakers after discussing it near an Apple device. The plaintiffs argued that these practices contradicted Apple's long-standing privacy protection policies.

A whistleblower within Apple previously revealed that contractors evaluating Siri’s performance frequently overheard users' private conversations.