Apple is a company that prioritizes privacy in its products and services. This is the perception people have with Apple’s product but with Apple’s $95 million Siri Settlement it looks otherwise.
In 2019, British new agency The Guardian published an article about a whistleblower’s claim that Apple’s Siri was recording conversations without users’ knowledge. The article led to a class-action lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the company:
- Surreptitiously turned on Siri’s microphone to record conversations. Those conversations included confidential medical information, drug deals and recordings of couples having sex.
- Shared some of the recorded conversations with advertisers
- Didn’t inform users that they were being recorded
Here are some other details about the case:
- Apple has not admitted wrongdoing and denies any liability.
- Apple says that it only collects data to improve Siri, and that the data is anonymized and not associated with a user.
- The lawsuit alleges that Apple shared recorded conversations with advertisers, including conversations about medical appointments, sexual encounters, and drug deals.
- Apple later paused its quality improvement program and stopped recording audio by default.
Although Apple has not admitted wrongdoing and denies any liability, but agreed to compensate U.S. users up to $100 per user, according to court documents filed December 13, 2024 in Oakland, California.
Apple Products covered under this settlement
A variety of Apple products are covered by the settlement, including the iPhone 6 and later versions, iPads built since 2014, all Apple Watch generations, the HomePod and HomePod Mini, and MacBooks and iMacs produced since 2014.
Users Eligible for Compensation
If you are an US citizen and owned an Apple Siri-Enabled device between Sept. 17, 2014 and Dec. 31 2024, you could be eligible to claim. You’ll also need to swear under oath that you experienced Siri activating unintentionally and had private conversations recorded by the voice assistant.
Compensation that Apple will Pay to Siri Users
Users of Siri will receive $20 from Apple; one user may file a claim for up to five devices, for a total of $100. In addition to the $95 million payout, the settlement mandates that Apple attest to the permanent removal of all Siri audio recordings made prior to October 2019.
Apple has used memorable slogans like “Privacy that is iPhone” to promote its privacy. However, this settlement calls into question Apple’s privacy pledge. Data is new oil in the economic world, and technologies are making the average person vulnerable. The unfortunate aspect of the situation is that Apple is still willing to pay even if it denies any wrongdoing. Just $20 is the cost of people’s privacy!
Another instance with Amazon Alex occurred in 2023, when the company consented to pay $25 million for similar privacy abuses linked to its Alexa devices. Alexa is a similar service like Siri which is virtual assistants that use AI to perform tasks like: playing music, managing daily tasks, and controlling smart home devices. Another lawsuit is pending in US District Court for the Northern District of California against Google LLC and Alphabet Inc. The lawsuit allege that Google Assistant can activate and record communications even when a user does not intentionally trigger Google Assistant with a hot word, like “Okay Google,” or manually activate Google Assistant on their device.
Steps to turn off Siri on an iPhone/iPad/Mac:
Go to Settings -> Siri -> Talk to Siri (OFF)
Here are some key moral lessons that can be drawn from these cases:
Privacy Matters: These legal actions underscore the importance of user privacy. The companies involved were accused of improperly collecting and storing data from voice interactions, including potentially sensitive information. Users of voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant are often unaware of how much data is being collected and how it is used.
Transparency is Crucial: One of the central themes in these lawsuits is the lack of transparency about data usage. Users need to be better informed about what data is collected, how it is stored, and whether it is shared with third parties. This highlights the importance of companies being clear and transparent in their data practices.
Accountability for Tech Companies: The settlements and lawsuits reflect the growing demand for tech companies to be held accountable for how they handle user data. These companies, which have immense power over our personal data, must be more responsible in ensuring that they comply with privacy laws and ethical standards.
Consumer Protection: The lawsuits reflect a broader trend of increasing consumer protection in the tech space. Users should not be taken advantage of through misleading or opaque data practices. This emphasizes the need for stronger regulations and safeguards to protect consumers.
The Importance of Consent: In many cases, users were not given clear choices or explicit consent regarding the use of their data. These cases emphasize that obtaining informed consent is an essential practice, and consumers should have control over how their data is used.
