Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit filed by American consumers who accused the Californian giant of violating their privacy by unwittingly recording private conversations via its Siri voice assistant, which is present on iPhones in particular.
The agreement, signed on December 31, 2024, will still have to be validated by the courts. “Apple has always denied and continues to deny any wrongdoing or alleged liability,” the text states. However, this decision marks the end of a five-year legal battle that began in 2019. According to the class action lawsuit that originated this case, Siri could be activated involuntarily, which would have resulted in the recording of private conversations. The plaintiffs also accused Apple of having shared these recordings with third parties, thus violating users’ privacy.
An image shaken by questions of private life
Apple, which has long positioned itself as a champion of personal data protection, has had to adjust its communication. As part of the agreement, the company will have to confirm that it has deleted the disputed recordings and explain to users their options regarding the storage of data collected by Siri. Users who agree to share their data to help improve the voice assistant will also be better informed.
Despite the size of the settlement, the financial impact on Apple remains negligible. With one of the largest market capitalizations in the world, the sum will be distributed among a large number of eligible American consumers.
Apple isn’t alone in facing data privacy lawsuits. In 2023, Amazon also agreed to pay more than $30 million to the U.S. Consumer Protection Agency (FTC). The lawsuits involved violations related to its Ring doorbells and smart cameras, as well as its Alexa voice assistant. The FTC accused Amazon of storing personal data despite promises to delete it and of giving employees and contractors access to customer videos.
Siri and Alexa in the era of generative AI
Despite these controversies, Siri and Alexa are enjoying renewed prominence thanks to the rise of generative artificial intelligence. Popularized by tools like ChatGPT, this technology is improving these voice assistants, giving them greater conversational capabilities and the ability to perform complex tasks. However, these advances are accompanied by new ethical and legal challenges in terms of data protection.
As AI gradually transforms everyday tools, users remain vigilant about how their personal information is collected, stored and used.
