January 3rd 2025.
Apple, being a company known for its concern for user privacy, has recently agreed to pay a hefty amount of $US95 million in order to settle a lawsuit that accused the tech giant of using its virtual assistant, Siri, to spy on users of its popular iPhone and other devices. This proposed settlement, which was filed on Tuesday in a federal court in Oakland, California, aims to put an end to a five-year-old lawsuit that revolved around allegations that Apple had secretly activated Siri in order to record conversations through its devices equipped with the virtual assistant for over a decade.
According to the lawsuit, these recordings took place even when users did not intend to activate Siri by saying the trigger words, "Hey, Siri." It was further claimed that some of these recorded conversations were then shared with advertisers to target consumers who might be interested in their products and services. These allegations were in stark contrast to Apple's long-standing commitment to safeguard the privacy of its customers, a cause that CEO Tim Cook has often referred to as a fight for "a fundamental human right."
However, Apple has not admitted to any wrongdoing as part of the settlement, which is still subject to the approval of US District Judge Jeffrey White. As per the terms of the proposed settlement, a court hearing has been scheduled for February 14 in Oakland to review the details. If approved, the settlement will benefit millions of consumers who owned Apple devices with Siri from September 17, 2014, to the end of last year. These eligible consumers will have the opportunity to file claims and could receive up to $US20 per device covered by the settlement, though the final amount could vary depending on the number of claims filed.
The estimated number of eligible consumers filing claims is only 3 to 5 percent, as per court documents. Additionally, each consumer will only be allowed to seek compensation for a maximum of five devices. This settlement amount, which is a mere fraction of Apple's profits of $US705 billion since September 2014, could have been much higher if the case had gone to trial. According to the lawyers representing consumers, Apple could have been required to pay around $US1.5 billion if found guilty of violating wiretapping and other privacy laws.
The attorneys involved in the lawsuit may also seek up to $US29.6 million from the settlement fund to cover their fees and other expenses. This settlement marks the end of a lengthy legal battle between Apple and the consumers, who accused the company of compromising their privacy through the use of its virtual assistant. It remains to be seen how the court proceedings unfold and what the final decision will be on the proposed settlement.
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