Apple to Pay $95 Million to Settle Lawsuit Accusing Siri of Eavesdropping

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of using its virtual assistant Siri to listen in on conversations of people using iPhones and other devices. The settlement proposal submitted to a federal court in Oakland, California on Tuesday resolves a five-year lawsuit centered around allegations that Apple secretly activated Siri to record conversations through iPhones and other devices equipped with the virtual assistant over a period of more than a decade. The alleged recordings occurred even when people did not want to activate the assistant with the trigger words "Hey, Siri." The lawsuit claims that some of the recorded conversations were later shared with advertisers with the aim of marketing to consumers who were more likely to engage with products and services. Apple does not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement, which must be approved by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White. Lawyers for the case have suggested scheduling a hearing in Oakland on February 14 to review the terms. If approved, millions of consumers who owned iPhones and other Apple devices from September 17, 2014, until the end of last year could file claims. Each consumer could receive up to $20 for each Siri-equipped device under the settlement, although the payment may be adjusted depending on the volume of claims. According to estimates in court documents, only 3% to 5% of eligible consumers are expected to file claims.