Apple Pays $95 Million to Settle Siri Privacy Lawsuit

Highlights

• Apple agreed to a $95 million settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit.
• It is against the allegation that Siri violated users’ privacy by unintentionally recording conversations and sharing them with third parties without consent.
• Class members estimated in the tens of millions may receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device.
• Plaintiffs’ lawyers are requesting up to $28.5 million in fees and $1.1 million for expenses.
• A similar lawsuit is ongoing against Google’s Voice Assistant represented by the same legal team.

How many times have you doubted that your phone is probably recording your conversations? Well, you are not alone and the biggest tech company of our times have agreed to payout to settle a similar allegation.

Apple has agreed to a $95 million settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit that accused its voice assistant Siri of violating users’ privacy. The preliminary settlement filed in an Oakland California federal court awaits approval from U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White.

The lawsuit alleged that Siri recorded private conversations unintentionally often triggered by its “Hey, Siri” activation phrase. Plaintiffs claimed these recordings were shared with third parties such as advertisers without user consent.

Examples provided in the case included mentions of products like Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden restaurants, which allegedly led to targeted ads. Another plaintiff reported seeing ads for a surgical treatment after discussing it privately with a doctor.

The class period for the case spans from September 17, 2014, to December 31, 2024, covering the years Siri used the “Hey, Siri” feature that allegedly caused unauthorized recordings.

Class members—estimated in the tens of millions—may receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device, including iPhones and Apple Watches.

Plaintiffs’ lawyers plan to request up to $28.5 million in fees and $1.1 million for expenses from the settlement fund.

Apple denied any wrongdoing but agreed to settle.

The $95 million settlement is equivalent to roughly nine hours of Apple’s profit, with the company reporting $93.74 billion in net income in its most recent fiscal year.

A similar lawsuit is ongoing against Google’s Voice Assistant in the same district, represented by the same legal team.

The case, Lopez et al v. Apple Inc., is filed in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 19-04577.

FAQs

Q1. What is the amount Apple has agreed to pay to settle the Siri privacy lawsuit?

Answer. Apple has agreed to a $95 million settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit that accused its voice assistant Siri of violating users’ privacy.

Q2. How much can class members receive from the settlement per Siri-enabled device?

Answer. Class members may receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device including iPhones and Apple Watches.

Q3. What is the estimated number of class members covered by the lawsuit?

Answer. Class members are estimated in the tens of millions, spanning the years Siri used the “Hey, Siri” feature that allegedly caused unauthorized recordings.

Read More: Apple Delays Key iOS 19 Features, Including LLM Siri, to Spring 2026: Report

Read More: Apple Working on Major Siri Upgrade with iOS 19 and macOS 16: Report