Apple has agreed to pay $95 million (approximately Rs 810 crore) to settle a class action lawsuit that alleged the tech giant's voice assistant Siri recorded users without their consent.
The lawsuit, Lopez v. Apple, was filed in a US federal court in California in 2021. It claimed that Siri-enabled devices, including iPhones and iPads, sometimes activated unintentionally and recorded private conversations, which were then allegedly shared with third parties, including advertisers, USA Today reported.
According to the legal notice, users in the US who owned or purchased a Siri-enabled device between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024, and experienced such unintended activations, may be eligible for compensation.
Who Can Claim?
Eligible devices include:
- iPhones
- iPads
- Apple Watches
- MacBooks
- iMacs
- Apple TVs
- HomePods
- iPod Touches
Users can claim compensation of up to $20 per device, for a maximum of five devices, meaning some may receive up to $100. The final amount may vary depending on how many people submit claims.
How To Claim
Consumers can visit the official Lopez Voice Assistant Settlement website to submit a claim. Those who received a claim ID via email or postcard can use it to file faster, but it's not mandatory.
The deadline to submit claims is July 2, 2025.
While Apple denies any wrongdoing, the company agreed to the settlement to avoid prolonged litigation. A final court hearing to approve the settlement is scheduled for August 1, 2025.
What Triggered The Case?
The lawsuit cited a 2019 investigation by The Guardian, which reported that Apple contractors had access to confidential voice recordings. At the time, Apple said the data was used solely to improve Siri's functionality and claimed only a small percentage was reviewed manually.
Despite those clarifications, users alleged they saw targeted ads based on things they had only spoken about in private, suggesting their conversations were being listened to and shared.
