Siri Privacy Lawsuit Settlement by Apple for $95 Million without Admission of Wrongdoing

Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit that alleges the company unauthorizedly listened to users through its virtual assistant, Siri. The lawsuit, filed in a Northern California court, claims that Apple recorded conversations without users' consent and used the recordings for advertising purposes.

The courtroom has been described as unpredictable, but by settling, Apple avoids the risk of a potentially larger payout from a court case. The settlement does not imply an admission of wrongdoing from Apple.

The lawsuit does not specify the number of users affected by the alleged unauthorized listening, even though each claimant could receive up to $20 for each Siri-enabled device owned between 2014 and 2019. The provided search results do not specify the name of the person or organization that filed the lawsuit against Apple.

The settlement comes amidst a series of recent class action lawsuits against Apple. Last year, a lawsuit resulted in a $500 million settlement for slowing down iPhones, while another lawsuit in the UK led to a $490 million settlement.

Interestingly, the lawsuit suggests Apple compared its privacy practices to those of Google, implying that Google's practices might be worse. However, the lawsuit does not imply that Apple's privacy practices are completely transparent or without issues.

One quote from the settlement negotiations was "I'd rather look guilty with my freedom than maintain innocence behind bars," which was used to explain the pragmatism of settling. Settling gives the appearance of guilt, but Apple maintains its stance of no wrongdoing.

A decision on the preliminary settlement is proposed for February 14, 2025. The lawsuit alleges that Apple's virtual assistant, Siri, recorded users without their consent and shared these recordings with advertisers, who used them to target users based on conversations, as per the lawsuit.

The settlement serves as a reminder for tech companies to prioritize user privacy and transparency in their practices. Apple has not yet released a statement regarding the settlement or its implications for future privacy policies.