Apple to pay $95M to settle claims of Siri eavesdropping on customers

ISTANBUL

Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a civil lawsuit that alleges the privacy-focused company used its virtual assistant Siri to eavesdrop on people using its iPhones and other popular devices.

The proposed settlement, which was filed Tuesday in a federal court in Oakland, California, would resolve a five-year-old lawsuit alleging that Apple secretly activated Siri to record conversations for over a decade, CBS News reported Thursday.

Apple is not acknowledging any wrongdoing in the settlement, which still requires approval from US District Judge Jeffrey White.

Lawyers involved in the case have proposed holding a court hearing in Oakland on Feb.14 to review the terms.

If approved, the settlement would allow tens of millions of consumers who owned iPhones and other Apple devices between Sept. 17, 2014 and the end of last year to file claims.

Each eligible consumer could receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device covered by the settlement, though the payment amount may vary depending on the number of claims submitted. Court documents estimate that only 3% to 5% of eligible consumers are likely to file claims.

​​​​​​​Eligible consumers will be restricted to seeking compensation for a maximum of five devices.