In brief
The tech giant denies wrongdoing while facing accusations of recording users through its voice assistant.
Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit that claimed it listened to users without their permission via Siri, its popular virtual assistant. Despite the hefty payout, the tech titan insists it has done nothing wrong, and no admission of guilt accompanies the settlement. The lawsuit arose when Fumiko Lopez and other claimants alleged that Siri recorded conversations even when users hadn’t activated it with the “Hey, Siri” trigger phrase. They claimed these recordings were then shared with advertisers, leading to targeted ads based on private conversations, including discussions about products like Air Jordans.As part of the settlement, Apple will work to delete any Siri audio recordings made before October 2019. Each U.S.-based claimant eligible for the settlement could receive up to $20 for every Siri-enabled device owned between 2014 and 2019. The case illustrates the growing concern over user privacy in an era dominated by technology. With a decision date set for February 14 in Northern California, this settlement allows Apple to dodge a potentially expensive court battle. The company has faced numerous class action lawsuits in recent years, including one regarding slowing down iPhones and another about their iCloud service. Interestingly, a similar lawsuit against Google is also making its way through the same court.
