Apple has reached a $95 million settlement regarding a class-action lawsuit that accused its popular virtual assistant Siri of eavesdropping on users through their iPhones and other devices. This proposed settlement was filed earlier this week in federal court in Oakland, California, and awaits approval from U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White (source: AP News).

The lawsuit, initiated in August 2019 after allegations surfaced in The Guardian, claimed that Siri inadvertently recorded private conversations without user consent. These records allegedly included sensitive discussions that were subsequently shared with third parties, including advertisers (source: NPR).

The proposed settlement comes after a five-year legal battle, where users argued that Siri activated even when not prompted by the trigger phrase "Hey, Siri." As part of the settlement agreement, an estimated tens of millions of consumers who owned Siri-enabled devices from September 17, 2014, to December 2024 may be eligible to file claims (source: The Guardian).

Individuals covered under the settlement could receive up to $20 per compatible device, although only a small percentage of affected users—estimated at 3% to 5%—are likely to file claims (source: Time). The exact payout could fluctuate based on the number of claims made, with provisions for attorney fees potentially reaching $30 million (source: CBS News).

Despite the settlement, Apple has not acknowledged any wrongdoing. The tech company emphasized its commitment to user privacy, a principle championed by its CEO, Tim Cook, who described privacy as a "fundamental human right" (source: Newsweek). Should the settlement be approved, payments are expected to be minimal compared to Apple's substantial profits, which exceeded $700 billion since 2014 (source: The Hill).

This legal matter raises serious inquiries into user privacy within technological devices, with similar allegations currently facing Google's Voice Assistant. The matter extends beyond just Siri and taps into growing concerns about the implications of voice-activated technologies in daily life.

For consumers wishing to disable Siri, the assistant can be turned off by navigating to Settings > Siri & Search and toggling off the options for "Listen for 'Hey Siri'" (source: CBS News).