Apple Inc. has consented to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit that accused the tech giant of using its virtual assistant Siri to eavesdrop on users of the iPhone and other devices. This proposed settlement, filed Tuesday in a federal court in Oakland, California, aims to resolve a five-year-old lawsuit concerning allegations that Siri was surreptitiously activated to record user conversations for over a decade, even when users did not trigger it with the phrase, "Hey, Siri," correctly alerted after multiple sources.

The lawsuit further claims that some of these recordings were shared with advertisers, ostensibly to offer products and services to consumers based on their conversations. This situation starkly contrasts Apple's professed commitment to user privacy, a principle that CEO Tim Cook has long advocated while framing it as a fundamental human right. Despite agreeing to the settlement, Apple has not admitted to any wrongdoing (see more from NPR).

If approved by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White during a proposed hearing scheduled for February 14, tens of millions of consumers who owned Siri-enabled Apple devices from September 17, 2014, to the end of last year could file claims. Each eligible user may receive up to $20 per device, though actual payouts may vary depending on the volume of claims, with estimates suggesting that only 3% to 5% of eligible consumers are expected to participate (details can be found via HuffPost).

Consumers can claim compensation for a maximum of five devices. The settlement represents a small fraction of the estimated $705 billion in profits Apple has earned since September 2014 and is far less than the $1.5 billion that attorneys estimated Apple could have potentially owed if it had been found guilty at trial on privacy violations. Attorneys are reportedly seeking $29.6 million from the settlement fund to cover their legal fees (additional insights available from CBS News).

Ultimately, the settlement underscores ongoing concerns about privacy in technology, an issue that continues to resonate with consumers and industry leaders alike. More information about the lawsuit and its implications can be read in depth through Newsweek.