Apple has agreed to settle a lawsuit over Siri recordings.
The lawsuit centered around concerns that Apple was not transparent about how Siri recordings are stored and used.
Apple will pay $95 million to settle the lawsuit.
This settlement is a significant step towards addressing the concerns of users who felt their privacy was compromised.
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Apple Settles Lawsuit
Apple has agreed to settle a lawsuit over Siri recordings. The settlement affects tens of millions of Apple customers who bought Siri-enabled devices between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024.
Apple customers who qualify for the settlement can submit claims for up to five Siri-enabled products. This includes iPhones, iPads, HomePod speakers, Mac computers, Apple Watches, and Apple TVs.
Those who take settlement money will forfeit their right to sue Apple for related claims. Claimants must also confirm under oath that they have experienced Siri listening to a "conversation intended to be private" without being specifically activated.
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The settlement fund allocation includes deducting administrative costs of $5.97 million, attorney fees up to $28.5 million, and litigation expenses not exceeding $1.1 million. Remaining funds will be distributed to eligible claimants.
Individual compensation is capped at $20 per device. Payments will be disbursed to approved claimants sometime after August 1, 2025, when a final approval hearing is scheduled.
Apple has agreed to delete individual Siri audio recordings collected before October 2019 and publish detailed information about the opt-in process for Siri improvement features. The company also commits to providing clearer explanations about stored information from users participating in Siri improvements.
Who Is Eligible?
If you owned a Siri-enabled Apple device between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024, you may qualify for a share of the settlement payout.
The class period began in 2014 when Apple incorporated the "Hey, Siri" feature, which allowed users to activate the assistant by speaking wake words rather than pressing a button.
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Siri-enabled devices include iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, MacBooks, iMacs, Apple TV streaming boxes, HomePod speakers, and iPod Touches.
You can submit claims for up to five Siri-enabled products, potentially receiving up to $20 per device.
To qualify, you'll have to swear under oath that at some point during the specified period, you accidentally activated Siri on each device you want to get a payment for, and that these activations occurred during a conversation meant to be private.
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Apple Defends Privacy Practices
Apple has agreed to settle a lawsuit over Siri recordings, and as part of this settlement, the company has defended its privacy practices.
Apple has implemented on-device processing for tasks like reading unread messages or providing suggestions through widgets and Siri search, which helps maintain user privacy.
The company uses a random identifier, a string of letters and numbers associated with individual devices, to process data for Siri searches and requests, operating independently of Apple Accounts.
This approach is different from other digital assistants available in the market, highlighting Apple's commitment to user privacy.
The settlement includes specific privacy enhancements, such as permanently deleting individual Siri audio recordings collected before October 2019, and providing clearer explanations about stored information from users participating in Siri improvements.
Apple's technical architecture for Siri's privacy features includes Private Cloud Compute, which extends device-level privacy protections into cloud operations, strictly limiting data usage to fulfilling specific requests.
The settlement fund allocation reveals that after deducting administrative costs, attorney fees, and litigation expenses, remaining funds will be distributed to eligible claimants, with individual compensation capped at $20 per device.
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How to Qualify for Settlement Money
If you bought a Siri-enabled device between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024, you may qualify for a share of the proposed settlement payout.
The class period began in 2014, when Apple incorporated the "Hey, Siri" feature, which allows users to activate the assistant by speaking wake words rather than pressing a button.
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To qualify, you must have purchased one of the following products: iPhones, iPads, HomePod speakers, Mac computers, Apple Watches, or Apple TVs.
You can submit claims for up to five Siri-enabled products, potentially receiving up to $20 per device.
To receive settlement money, you must confirm under oath that you have experienced Siri listening to a "conversation intended to be private" without being specifically activated.
You have until July 2, 2025, to submit a claim, and payments will be disbursed sometime after August 1, 2025.
The settlement class encompasses U.S. residents who owned or purchased Siri-enabled devices during the specified time period.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much will each person get for Apple settlement?
Members of the settlement class can receive up to $100 for up to five Siri-enabled devices. Claimants can submit for a payment of up to $20 per device.
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