The settlement, filed in federal court in Oakland, California, will end five years of litigation based on allegations that Apple secretly activated Siri for more than a decade to record conversations using iPhones and other devices equipped with the virtual assistant.
Court documents indicate that these conversations were recorded even when people did not activate the virtual assistant. Individual recorded conversations are then shared with advertisers to market their products to consumers who may be interested in those goods and services.
“Apple” does not admit guilt in the violations, but has agreed to pay compensation.
The settlement still has to be approved by U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey White. The lawyers involved in the case have proposed to hold a hearing on February 14 in the Oakland court to consider the terms of this settlement.
If this settlement is approved, claims will be filed in court by tens of millions of consumers who owned iPhone smartphones and other Apple devices between September 17, 2014 and the end of last year. Each consumer could receive up to $20 for each Siri-equipped device covered by the settlement, although the payment could be reduced or increased depending on the extent of the claims.
Estimates provided in court documents assume that only 3-5% of consumers could submit claims.