Apple has reached a settlement of USD 95 million to resolve a lawsuit alleging that the privacy-conscious firm used Siri, its virtual assistant, to spy on users of the iPhone and other popular gadgets.
A five-year-old lawsuit centered on claims that Apple secretly turned on Siri to record conversations through iPhones and other devices with the virtual assistant for over ten years would be settled by the proposed settlement, which was filed Tuesday in a federal court in Oakland, California.
Even when users did not attempt to use the trigger words, "Hey, Siri," to activate the virtual assistant, the purported recordings allegedly took place. According to the lawsuit, some of the recorded chats were subsequently given to advertisers in an effort to market their goods to customers who were more likely to be interested in them. The claims of a spying Siri ran counter to Apple's longstanding pledge to safeguard its users' privacy, which CEO Tim Cook has frequently presented as a struggle to uphold a basic human right.
In the deal, which still needs US District Judge Jeffrey White's approval, Apple is not admitting any wrongdoing. The case's attorneys have suggested holding a court hearing in Oakland on February 14 to go over the terms.
Tens of millions of customers who purchased iPhones and other Apple products between September 17, 2014, and the end of last year may submit claims if the settlement is accepted. Depending on the number of claims, each customer may earn up to USD 20 for each Siri-enabled device covered by the settlement; however, the amount may be lowered or raised. According to estimates in court filings, only 3 to 5 percent of eligible consumers are projected to make claims. The number of devices on which eligible consumers may seek compensation will be restricted to five.
A portion of the USD 705 billion in profits that Apple has kept since September 2014 is represented by the settlement. It's also a small portion of the approximately USD 1.5 billion that the consumer lawyers had calculated Apple may have to pay if the business had been found to have violated privacy laws and eavesdropping, had the case proceeded to trial.
According to court filings, the lawsuit's attorneys may request up to USD 29.6 million from the settlement money to pay for their fees and other costs.
