Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging that its Siri voice assistant inadvertently recorded private conversations.
The settlement, which requires approval from US District Judge Jeffrey White in Oakland, California, would compensate affected users with up to $20 per Siri-enabled device. The lawsuit highlights concerns over privacy issues with voice assistants and how companies handle sensitive data.
The settlement applies to a specific group of US-based users who owned or purchased Siri-enabled devices—such as iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, MacBooks, iMacs, HomePods, iPod touches, or Apple TVs—between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024. To qualify for compensation, users must swear under oath that Siri accidentally activated during a private or confidential conversation. Payouts will depend on the number of people who file claims, which could reduce the $20 maximum cap per device. Eligible users can claim compensation for up to five devices.
How Siri Recordings Sparked the Lawsuit
The lawsuit was filed after a 2019 report by The Guardian revealed that Apple contractors routinely overheard sensitive information while reviewing Siri recordings for quality control. These recordings, sometimes triggered accidentally, reportedly included confidential medical discussions, drug transactions, and even intimate moments. A whistleblower noted that seemingly innocuous sounds, like a zipper, could trigger Siri.
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit claimed that Siri recordings led to targeted advertisements for topics they had discussed privately, such as surgical treatments or specific products like Nike Air Jordans and Olive Garden.
Following the report, Apple faced significant backlash. The company apologized and suspended its program for analyzing Siri recordings. Apple later implemented stricter privacy protocols, including restricting reviews of Siri recordings to its employees, deleting accidentally captured audio, and requiring users to opt in to sharing their Siri data. Hundreds of contractors were reportedly let go as part of these changes.
Despite denying any wrongdoing, Apple agreed to the settlement as part of the legal process. The $95 million payout represents about nine hours of profit for the company, according to Reuters. Details about how users can join the settlement class or file claims have yet to be disclosed.
Similar lawsuits have been filed against Google and Amazon, which also used contractors to review voice data.
Apple’s settlement raises an important question about the balance between user privacy and corporate accountability. While $95 million is a small fraction of Apple’s revenue, it signals the weight of privacy concerns in a world increasingly reliant on voice assistants.
