Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to people Siri eavesdropped on

Apple is starting off 2025 on a costly note. The Cupertino-based company has agreed to a $95 million settlement in a proposed class-action lawsuit claiming Siri, its voice assistant, violated users’ privacy by listening to private conversations. According to Reuters, the proposed settlement could result in millions of US-based owners of Apple products getting up to $20 per Siri-enabled device. The settlement still requires approval by a U.S. District Judge.

This means that, if approved, many people in the US who bought or owned any Siri-enabled device, such as an iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple Watch, between the period of September 17, 2014, to December 31, 2024, would be eligible for a part of the settlement; but only if they claim under oath that Siri was accidentally enabled during a private or confidential conversation they had.

The payout of $20 per Siri-enabled device could be lower depending on how many people try to claim the money as part of the settlement. Apple and its lawyers have not publicly commented on the settlement and have denied any wrongdoing by agreeing to settle.

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It all started with ‘Hey Siri’

Accidentally activating Siri isn’t all that uncommon

If you use any Apple device daily, there’s a distinct possibility that Siri has been accidentally activated once or twice while you were using it. I’ve had this happen to me countless times before, and the next thing you know, Siri has unintentionally listened to a part of my conversation. The plaintiffs in the case claim that their mention of Air Jordan Sneakers and Olive Garden restaurants resulted in ads popping up for them on their devices.

Another plaintiff said they got ads for a specific surgical treatment after discussing it privately with their doctor without knowing Siri was eavesdropping. The eligibility for the settlement goes back to September 17, 2014, when Apple first began incorporating “Hey, Siri” on its devices. Siri is supposed to be enabled using that wake word. However, sometimes, it can be activated accidentally by saying something similar to it.

Apple isn’t the only company in hot water over its voice assistant listening in on people. Google is facing a similar lawsuit that’s currently pending in a California federal court. You can check out all 61 pages of the proposed Apple settlement here.

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