Apple Siri Class Action Settlement Payout 2025: Here’s Who’s Eligible And How To Claim

Apple users may soon be eligible for a cash payout following a $95 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit accusing the tech giant of unauthorized Siri eavesdropping. The preliminary settlement, filed on December 13, 2024, in Oakland, California, awaits approval by a U.S. district judge, as reported by Reuters.

The lawsuit claims that Apple infringed on users’ privacy by inadvertently capturing Siri conversations and sharing this data with advertisers. This issue came to light in 2019 when The Guardian revealed that Apple employed contractors to listen to Siri recordings of private conversations, including sensitive topics like medical appointments, sexual encounters, and drug deals.

At the heart of the controversy was Apple’s failure to clearly disclose that human oversight was involved in reviewing Siri recordings. The lawsuit alleges that Apple did not inform users about the potential for accidental recordings by Siri, resulting in privacy breaches.

Specific allegations include instances where plaintiffs claimed to see targeted ads for products like Air Jordan shoes and medical treatments shortly after discussing these topics near their iPhones. This has raised significant privacy concerns among users.

Eligibility for Payout

If you owned a Siri-enabled Apple device between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024, and are based in the U.S., you might be eligible for compensation. To qualify, claimants must declare under oath that Siri activated unintentionally and recorded private conversations.

A decision on the settlement is expected by February 14, 2025. A dedicated website will be established within 45 days for users to confirm their eligibility and submit claims, with a filing deadline of May 15, 2025.

Payout Details

Eligible Siri users could receive $20 per device, with a maximum of $100 for up to five devices. The actual payout may vary based on the number of claims submitted and approved.

Settlement Distribution

The $95 million settlement will also cover legal fees, with attorneys potentially receiving up to 30% of the total amount, approximately $30 million. While this payout is significant, it is a minor expense for Apple, which reported $93.74 billion in profits in its latest fiscal year.

Apple’s Stance

Apple has denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that data collected by Siri is anonymized and used solely to improve the voice assistant’s performance. The company is settling to avoid costly litigation, which could have resulted in $1.5 billion in damages if the case went to trial.

Privacy Concerns and Recommendations

This case highlights ongoing concerns about privacy and voice assistants. For users concerned about Siri’s potential eavesdropping, Apple offers various privacy settings:

  • On iOS devices: Go to Settings > Siri > Turn off “Listen for ‘Hey Siri’” and other activation methods.
  • On Mac: Navigate to System Settings > Siri & Spotlight > Toggle off “Ask Siri.”

Apple has also made Siri’s data collection for analytics opt-in only since 2019, enhancing user privacy. Those uncomfortable with voice assistant technology can disable Siri entirely.

This settlement is a significant step in addressing privacy concerns, though the debate over voice assistant surveillance continues, with similar lawsuits pending against other tech giants like Google.

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