Apple agrees to $95 million settlement in lawsuit accusing Siri of recording users’ conversations

• Apple has agreed to pay a $95 million settlement in a lawsuit accusing Siri of recording users’ conversations
• The company denied any wrongdoing, saying Siri uses as little data as possible to deliver results to customers
• Users of Apple devices can file a claim if the settlement is approved

iPhone maker, Apple, has agreed to pay $95 million (£76.5 million) as settlement in a lawsuit accusing it of using Siri, its virtual assistant feature, to eavesdrop on device users’ conversations.

In the lawsuit, Apple was accused of having secretly activated the Siri feature to record conversations through people’s devices for more than a decade, which goes against Apple’s commitment to protect customer privacy.

The lawsuit also said the alleged recordings occurred even when people didn’t seek to activate the virtual assistant with the trigger words, “Hey, Siri.”

The charges against Apple claimed some of the recorded conversations were shared with advertisers in an attempt to sell their products to consumers who were more likely to be interested in the goods and services.

Siri is a feature on iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices, which lets users ask questions and give instructions using their voices.

Apple denied any wrongdoing

In its defence, the iPhone maker denied any wrongdoing, saying Siri uses as little data as possible to deliver results to customers.

An Apple spokesperson said: “Siri has been engineered to protect user privacy. Siri data has never been used to build marketing profiles and it has never been sold to anyone for any purpose.

“We use Siri data to improve Siri, and we are constantly developing technologies to make Siri even more private.”

The company added that it chose to settle the case to avoid additional litigation and move on from the privacy concerns that were first raised in a 2019 report.

If the case went to trial and Apple was found guilty of violating wiretapping and privacy laws, the company could have been fined as much as $1.5 billion.

Users can file a claim if the settlement is approved

Consumers who owned iPhones and other Apple devices from September 17, 2014, through the end of last year could file claims if the settlement is approved.

Each consumer could receive up to $20 per Siri-equipped device covered by the settlement. However, the payment could be reduced or increased, depending on the volume of claims.

According to estimates in court documents, only three to five per cent of eligible consumers are expected to file claims, and those eligible will be limited to seeking compensation on a maximum of five devices.

Apple integrates ChatGPT, language support in latest iOS update

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Apple integrated OpenAI’s ChatGPT into its devices in the latest update to the iOS, according to a statement by the iPhone maker on Wednesday, December 11.

The move aims to enhance user experience and increase the sales of Apple’s latest iPhones during the peak holiday shopping season.