Apple to Shell Out $95 Million to Settle Siri Spying Lawsuit [Updated]

[sw1tcher]

There has been no evidence that Apple ever provided Siri recordings or information from Siri recordings to advertisers, and Apple's privacy policies have long made it clear that any data collected from Siri for the purpose of improving the feature is anonymized and not associated with a specific user.

In the settlement filing, Apple says that it "continues to deny any and all alleged wrongdoing and liability, specifically denies each of the Plaintiffs' contentions and claims, and continues to deny that the Plaintiffs' claims and allegations would be suitable for class action status." Apple is settling to avoid further costs of litigation.

That's a laugh. When does Apple back down from defending itself?

Could the real reason for why Apple is settling be that Apple doesn't want it to get out that Apple was selling user data to advertisers? This would be revealed if the case went to trial during the discovery phase as Apple would have to turn over such data.

 

[zinacef]

How do they know this came from Siri? I think it’s highly unlikely Apple would do this. I’d be more suspicious of Facebook/Insta/Snap, etc having microphone access and being allowed to run in the background. I don’t give any social media apps mic access and I’ve never had any of these weird targeted advertisement moments

Apple would have relatively little to gain and a lot to lose if they did this

Wake up!

Apple contractors 'regularly hear confidential details' on Siri recordings

Workers hear drug deals, medical details and people having sex, says whistleblower

www.theguardian.com

Confirmed: Apple Caught In Siri Privacy Scandal, Let Contractors Listen To Private Voice Recordings

Atherton Research's Principal Analyst and Futurist Jeb Su unpacks the ramifications of Apple letting outside contractors access private conversations of Siri users.

www.forbes.com

 

[Harry Haller]

OMG, I was just discussing erectile dysfunction with my doctor and then got an ad for Viagra.

Thank Tim it wasn’t an ad from rotorooter.

 

[frenchcamp49er]

Can't wait for for $1.29

 

[Savage_Man]

The ones with the ability to use us as tech commodity and not get punished for it will always continue doing what's profitable, that's the reality we live in 2025.

 

[hieranonymous]

Siri? I thought it was meta listening to us. this still happens all the time. every time I discuss something it gets advertised to me on Facebook and instagram.

I literally came here to comment that Instagram always seems to know what I’ve been chatting about. 😎

 

[CharlesShaw]

Wake up!

Apple contractors 'regularly hear confidential details' on Siri recordings

Workers hear drug deals, medical details and people having sex, says whistleblower

www.theguardian.com

Confirmed: Apple Caught In Siri Privacy Scandal, Let Contractors Listen To Private Voice Recordings

Atherton Research's Principal Analyst and Futurist Jeb Su unpacks the ramifications of Apple letting outside contractors access private conversations of Siri users.

www.forbes.com

Everyone is instead imagining some sort of live feed with immediate actions, like the episodes of The Good Wife with NSA wiretapping. "Ashley, quick, iPhone owner 49822xh3 just mentioned Pizza Hut, get this to ad placement, asap."

 

[ChrisA]

$95M was a cheap, low-cost way to avoid letting the lawsuit get to the discovery phase. Had that happened, all of the details of Apple's actions would go into the public record. Avoiding that for only $95M was a bargain.

 

[mxrider88]

Impossible! Tim told us that privacy is a fundamental human right!!

 

[Hogswarts]

"There has been no evidence that Apple ever provided ‌Siri‌ recordings or information from ‌Siri‌ recordings to advertisers"
Siri is magical.

 

[N0ughtsAndCr0sses]

I always say out loud even when I’m alone


“I WANT TO MAKE MORE MONEY”

still waiting for ads showing me how to

 

[jayducharme]

It's hilarious that the consumers affected by this will receive "up to" $20 each. I guess it will depend on how many people file a claim. If I'm the only one, then I'll get $20 and the lawyers will get the rest of the $95 million. Not a bad deal.

 

[meaty]

I feel vindicated slightly for my pedantic action of disabling Siri on all my devices and disabling camera, microphone, photo, contacts and location access to almost every app.

if you think that's preventing them from any of this, you're wrong.

 

[jjudson]

They need to go after Facebook. My wife's damn app has been listening to our conversations for years now...

 

[Harry Haller]

They need to go after Facebook. My wife's damn app has been listening to our conversations for years now...

She says she's sorry. 🤪

 

[kirky29]

oh no! 95 million dollars! They probably spend that on staff coffee a day 🤣

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

Yessir!

 

[MacMcNugget]

Yessir!


View attachment 2468400

Just to clarify, you think people with known child abuse material on their phones SHOULDN’T be reported to the cops?

Interesting…

 

[TVreporter]

Tim: $95M? Let me check between the couch seats!

Lawyers are expected to fetch $30M on this … the only people who win any lawsuit.

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

Just to clarify, you think people with known child abuse material on their phones SHOULDN’T be reported to the cops?

Interesting…

No to clarify.

I posted a meme, then you completely made something up and attributed it to me as if it were my opinion. Which is a bit weird.

 

[lkrupp]

Interesting, will we find out that:

1) Apple did in fact allow recordings to go to advertisers

or

2) Are other apps, that have access to the microphone, sending info to advertisers

I am leaning towards #2.

Baloney, the lawsuit proved nothing. Allegations are not proof. Apple admits no guilt and settles rather than go to court where some idiots on a jury might award untold millions. By the way, the same lawyers that sued Apple also sued Google for the same allegations and Google has yet to settle.

So no, we will not find out anything about what happened. We will be left will allegations and that’s it. And social media will, as usual, come up other than dozens of conspiracy theories. Your post is the start here. And the tired old argument of "why settle if you’re innocent” simply does not apply to large corporations who find it cheaper to pay off the lawyers instead of dragging it for years in court whether they win or lose. The lawyers here want almost $30 million for their efforts. You MIGHT get $20 IF you even qualify. And as it’s pointed out Apple makes $95 Million in profit every 9 hours, pocket change to make this go away.

 

[iZac]

if you think that's preventing them from any of this, you're wrong.

I know, my wife worked in a game company and they were all shocked that Facebook apparently has an API that game devs can use that takes a surreptitious screenshot when you shake the phone. I don’t know if that’s the same kind of shake that activates the ‘undo text’ input or just any gyroscope action. I’ve not managed to find mention of this on the internet but I have no reason to doubt how scummy Meta could be.

Oh well, I hope that deactivating access to things at least does something to protect me in at least some apps though.

 

[raindogg]

So much for Apple Privacy. What's even worse is Siri still sucks! If you're not going to protect our privacy at least give us a better Siri.

 

[maxfromdenmark]

Siri is good at the stuff it shouldn't be, but falls short where it counts.

 

[lkrupp]

That's a laugh. When does Apple back down from defending itself?

Could the real reason for why Apple is settling be that Apple doesn't want it to get out that Apple was selling user data to advertisers? This would be revealed if the case went to trial during the discovery phase as Apple would have to turn over such data.

Always promoting the negative. How typical in these forums. Just another conspiracy theory to add to the mix of mis/disinformation that permeates tech blogs like MacRumors. If you say it enough times maybe someone will believe it, right?