Apple agrees to pay $95 million over Siri eavesdropping lawsuit

Jan 3

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Craig Nigrelli Anchor

By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Ian Kennedy (Video Editor)

Apple reached a $95 million settlement on Tuesday, Dec. 31, over a lawsuit accusing the tech giant of using its virtual assistant Siri to secretly record Apple users’ conversations via iPhones and other Apple devices. The lawsuit alleged that the recordings occurred even when people did not activate the virtual assistant using the key phrase: “Hey, Siri.”

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The lawsuit goes on to claim that some of the recorded conversations were shared with advertisers in the hopes they would sell their products to interested customers. The allegations are in conflict with Apple’s long-running pledge to protect its customers privacy.

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As part of the settlement, Apple does not have to admit any wrongdoing. The deal must be approved by a federal judge, and lawyers have proposed a Feb. 14 court hearing to review the legal terms.

If the settlement is approved by the federal judge, the agreement would award money to tens of thousands of Apple users who owned iPhones and other Apple devices from Sept. 17, 2014, through the end of last year.

Each person would reportedly get $20 for each Siri-equipped device covered in the settlement, but would be limited to five devices they claim. The payment may be higher or lower depending on the number of claims filed. Court documents show that only 3% to 5% of eligible Apple customers are expected to file claims.

Lawyers who brought the lawsuit against Apple assert that the $95 million settlement reached is only a small fraction of the roughly $1.5 billion Apple would have paid if it were found guilty of violating wiretapping and privacy laws had the case gone to trial.

Tags: apple, Apple Intelligence, Apple Store, Big Tech, data privacy, Lawsuit, Privacy, Tech, Technology, Tim Cook

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

APPLE REACHED A 95-MILLION-DOLLAR SETTLEMENT THIS WEEK OVER A LAWSUIT ACCUSING THE TECH GIANT OF USING SIRI TO SECRETLY RECORD APPLE USERS’ CONVERSATIONS VIA IPHONES AND OTHER DEVICES

THE LAWSUIT ALLEGES RECORDINGS HAPPENED EVEN WHEN PEOPLE DIDN’T ACTIVATE THE VIRTUAL ASSISTANT WITH THE KEY PHRASE: “HEY, SIRI.”

THE SUIT CLAIMS SOME OF THE RECORDED CONVERSATIONS WERE SHARED WITH ADVERTISERS IN THE HOPES THEY COULD SELL THEIR PRODUCTS TO POTENTIALLY INTERESTED CUSTOMERS.

THE ALLEGATIONS APPEAR TO BE IN CONFLICT WITH APPLE’S LONG-RUNNING PLEDGE TO PROTECT ITS CUSTOMERS PRIVACY.

AS PART OF THE SETTLEMENT APPLE DOESN’T HAVE TO ADMIT ANY WRONGDOING.

THE DEAL MUST STILL BE APPROVED BY A JUDGE AND LAWYERS HAVE PROPOSED A FEBRUARY 14TH COURT HEARING TO REVIEW THE LEGAL TERMS.

IF APPROVED, THE AGREEMENT WOULD AWARD MONEY TO TENS OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WHO OWNED IPHONES AND OTHER APPLE DEVICES FROM SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2014 THROUGH THE END OF LAST YEAR.

EACH PERSON WOULD REPORTEDLY GET 20 DOLLARS FOR EACH SIRI-EQUIPPED DEVICE COVERED IN THE SETTLEMENT.

THE PAYMENT COULD BE HIGHER OR LOWER DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF CLAIMS FILED.

COURT DOCUMENTS SUGGEST ONLY THREE-TO-FIVE PERCENT OF ELIGIBLE APPLE CUSTOMERS ARE EXPECTED TO FILE CLAIMS.

LAWYERS SAY THE SETTLEMENT IS ONLY A SMALL FRACTION OF THE ROUGHLY ONE-POINT-FIVE-BILLION DOLLARS APPLE WOULD’VE PAID IF FOUND GUILTY OF VIOLATING WIRETAPPING AND PRIVACY LAWS IF THE CASE WENT TO TRIAL.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI.