Have you ever gotten the feeling that Siri, the voice-activated digital assistant on Apple devices, was eavesdropping on your private conversations? Have you noticed online ads for a particular brand after talking about it out loud? If you said yes, you’re not alone. A 2019 class-action lawsuit representing tens of millions of people accused Apple of violating user privacy by making unauthorized recordings through Siri and sharing them with advertisers. For example, two of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit said they got targeted ads for Air Jordan sneakers and the Olive Garden restaurant franchise after mentioning them in conversation. Another said his private discussion with a doctor triggered ads for a brand name surgical treatment.
When Apple released Siri in 2014, the company said it would only activate when it heard a deliberate wake-up phrase: “Hey, Siri.” In reality, it was much easier to activate the voice assistant by accident than people realized. A 2019 newspaper investigation showed that even the sound of a zipper could trigger Siri to make an audio recording that would be stored along with other user data showing location and contact details. Apple issued a formal apology and made several changes in response, such as adding the “Ask App Not To Track” privacy option. But angry Apple users still filed a class-action lawsuit against the company, alleging their privacy had been unknowingly violated.
A few years have passed since then, and now Apple has agreed to pay $95 million in cash to settle the lawsuit. The settlement means that tens of millions of people will receive individual payouts and Apple can deny any wrongdoing. Once the settlement is approved by a judge, Apple users who swear under oath that they unintentionally activated Siri during a confidential conversation can claim up to $20 per device. The entire $95 million payout is equivalent to nine hours of profit for Apple, which is the largest company in the world with a market cap of more than $3 trillion. In the last fiscal year, Apple made $93.74 billion in net income.
Questions:
- How did Apple’s Siri assistant potentially violate the privacy of iPhone users?
- Do you think paying a $95 million settlement is an appropriate punishment for Apple’s actions? Why or why not?
Source: Jonathan Stempel, “Apple To Pay $95 Million To Settle Siri Privacy Lawsuit,” Reuters, Jan. 2, 2025.