Millions of Apple users are eligible to receive a check from a $95 million class-action settlement alleging that Siri eavesdrops on private conversations.
Apple has agreed to pay the hefty settlement for selling recordings of private conversations to third-party advertisers.
Some Apple consumers will receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled Apple device, such as iPhone, iPad, MacBook and Apple Watch. Drivers who enable Siri in their cars are also eligible for a payout.
Via Mashable.com — “The lawsuit centers around customer complaints that Siri was unintentionally activated and a 2019 report from a whistleblower via The Guardian that Apple contractors heard voice recordings while testing for quality control. This included “confidential medical information, drug deals, and recordings of couples having sex,” according to the investigation. Siri is only supposed to activate upon hearing the wake word “hey Siri,” but there were reported instances of Siri being triggered by other things — such as the sound of a zipper, an Apple Watch being raised in a certain way, and hearing a voice.”
Apple users have long suspected that Siri was listening in on their phone calls – even though they did not activate Siri by saying “Hey Siri.”
Consumers complained that they saw ads online for a product that they mentioned in a private conversation.
To receive their cut of the settlement, Apple users must submit a claim for up to 5 Apple devices with Siri (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, iMac, HomePod, iPod touch, or Apple TV).
Users must also swear under oath that they accidentally activated Siri “during a conversation intended to be confidential or private,” according to the settlement proposal.
