Siri Accused of Eavesdropping, Apple Agrees to Pay $95 Million Settlement | WPN World People News

Apple, the U.S. tech giant, has been accused of violating user privacy by having its voice assistant Siri eavesdrop on conversations and sharing the contents with third parties. Several users have filed a collective lawsuit against the company. While Apple denies any wrongdoing, it has recently submitted a preliminary settlement agreement, agreeing to pay $95 million in compensation.

The lawsuit claims that Apple device users often unknowingly activated Siri, causing private conversations to be recorded. Two users specifically mentioned that after discussing Air Jordan sneakers and the Olive Garden restaurant, they started receiving related advertisements. Another user reported having private discussions with a doctor about a specific surgical treatment, only to later receive promotional ads for that treatment. As a result, they questioned whether Siri was recording private conversations, tracking user locations, and collecting personal data, which was then leaked to third parties, violating Apple's commitment to protect user privacy.

The lawsuit covers the period from September 17 to December 31, 2014, the same time Apple introduced the "Hey Siri" voice assistant feature, which was capable of recording conversations without authorization. Consequently, all users of Apple devices supporting Siri, such as iPhones and Apple Watches, are eligible for the settlement. The estimated number of affected individuals could reach tens of millions, with each person potentially receiving up to $20 in compensation.

The case is currently being heard by a federal court in Oakland, California. While Apple denies any improper behavior, it submitted the preliminary settlement agreement to the court on the evening of December 31, agreeing to pay $95 million to resolve the issue. The settlement is now awaiting approval from the judge.