Apple to pay $95 million to settle the lawsuit about unauthorized Siri recordings
Apple has agreed to settle a proposed class action lawsuit alleging its Siri assistant recorded conversations even before the wake word was said.
The plaintiffs claim Apple captured accidental Siri activations and recordings before the user activated the assistant and shared them with advertisers. The filing alleges that sometimes Siri would confuse ordinary sounds for the “Hey Siri” wake phrase.
Some recordings captured when people unintentionally activated Siri were then shared with third-party contractors as part of Apple’s controversial initiative to evaluate and grade Siri responses. Apple tasked these contractors with listening to Siri recordings and assessing the quality of Siri responses. However, they could also hear people’s private conversations and sensitive information, such as medical details, oblivious to the fact that Siri was capturing their discussions.
Apple said it stopped using contractors and temporarily suspended the Siri evaluation program. It also added options to iOS to delete Siri recordings uploaded to servers. Later updates brought on-device processing for some Siri requests, which reduced the number of Siri recordings uploaded to the cloud.
Apple settles the lawsuit about unauthorized Siri recordings
With the Hey Siri option enabled, Siri always listens but only uploads recordings when the on-device algorithm detects the wake word. The algorithm isn’t perfect, so sometimes Siri shares what was recorded before the user uttered the wake word.
Apple hasn’t admitted to wrongdoing but will settle the 2019 lawsuit by paying $95 million in cash to avoid further litigation costs, Reuters reported. “Two plaintiffs said their mentions of Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden restaurants triggered ads for those products,” reads the report. “Another said he got ads for a brand name surgical treatment after discussing it, he thought privately, with his doctor.”
Are you eligible for a payment?
If you live in the United States and used an Apple device with Siri between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024, you may be eligible for a payment. Apple will share the contact information of anyone who purchased a device with Siri to help decide who’s eligible for a payment.
Class members may receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device, and each member will be able to submit claims for five devices (resulting in a maximum payment of $100 per eligible customer). Further information will be shared via a settlement website that will go live within 45 days.
Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2025/01/03/apple-agrees-settle-siri-recordings-lawsuit/
Leave a Reply