This week, Apple (AAPL) agreed to a proposed $95 million settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit. This lawsuit alleged that some customers had private conversations recorded by voice assistant Siri and then shared with third-party contractors. According to the settlement terms, anyone who possessed a Siri-enabled device post-September 17, 2014, could potentially claim part of the settlement. Claimants will have to solemnly affirm that they experienced Siri triggering unintentionally, leading to the recording of what they believed was a private conversation. The proposed settlement would cap payouts at $100 per person-$20 per device for up to five devices.
The lawsuit followed a 2019 report on The Guardian claiming Siri regularly recorded private conversations heard by non-employees of Apple. One such third-party contractor, tasked with assessing the quality of Siri's responses, stated that they had overheard conversations of doctors discussing patients' medical details. They revealed that something as simple as the sound of a zipper or an Apple Watch raised could activate Siri, recording several seconds of conversation.
The settlement still requires approval by the presiding judge in the case. As per the agreement, a maximum of 30% of the settlement fund ($28.5 million) could go to the lawyers who initiated the lawsuit. While Apple has denied any culpability, it did admit to The Guardian at the time of the original story that a minor percentage of Siri recordings were sent to contractors for assessment.