Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class-action lawsuit against the company’s voice assistant, Siri, for violating users’ privacy, AFP reported.
According to reports, the plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit allege that Siri, a voice-activated assistant on Apple’s phones and other devices, inadvertently activates and then sends the private conversations it hears to Apple. Some plaintiffs claim they receive targeted ads for a restaurant or clothing brand when it is mentioned. These conversations are captured via Siri and shared with third parties such as advertisers without user consent.
Agence France-presse reported that the settlement agreement will eventually need to get the final approval of the court to take effect. While Apple has agreed to pay large settlements to consumers who file class-action lawsuits, it has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Apple said it was always committed to protecting users’ privacy, and stressed that it had taken a number of steps to strengthen privacy after a 2019 scandal involving contractors accidentally listening to Siri Recordings.