Apple has agreed to a 95 million U.S. dollar settlement involving its virtual assistant Siri. The settlement terms will be reviewed during a 14 February court hearing.
The lawsuit contended that Apple devices engaged in eavesdropping on users through the “Hey Siri” feature, which allows iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and other Siri-compatible devices to perpetually monitor and record conversations triggered by the activation phrase.
The Wood Law Firm, which focuses on class-action litigation, initiated the complaint against Apple in Oakland, California, in August 2019, shortly after The Guardian published an article alleging that Apple employed contractors to listen to recordings of users’ interactions with Siri, encompassing a range of topics from medical appointments to sexual encounters and drug deals.
At that time, Apple acknowledged the possibility of Siri recordings being reviewed but did not confirm that human listeners were involved. The lawsuit claimed that Apple failed to inform users that they were often recorded without their consent.
The lawsuit was initiated by several individuals, among whom were two plaintiffs who claimed to have received advertisements for Air Jordan shoes subsequent to their discussions about the product. Additionally, another person reported that he started receiving medical advertisements after conversing with his doctor regarding a particular surgical procedure.
