Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the company of turning virtual assistant Siri into Snoop. eavesdropped on the user In a betrayal of its longstanding commitment to personal privacy, it banned the sale of iPhones and other trendy devices.
The proposed settlement, filed in federal court earlier this week, still needs to be approved by a judge, but here are some things to know about the lawsuit and the privacy issues it raises.
What was the lawsuit about?
The Wood Law Firm, which specializes in class action lawsuits, filed a lawsuit in 2019, shortly after The Guardian published an article alleging that Siri’s microphone was secretly turned on to record conversations that took place without the user’s knowledge. The company filed a complaint against Apple in August.
Apple issued a software update in September 2014 that launches its virtual assistant simply by saying the words “Hey, Siri,” but an article in The Guardian notes that Siri could also be used at other times to help the company improve its technology. He claimed to have listened to and recorded the conversations.
The story led to a lawsuit, after which Apple shared some of the conversations secretly recorded by Siri with advertisers looking to connect with consumers who are more likely to buy their products and services. A suspicion was raised.
How many people are eligible for the settlement money?
Tens of millions of U.S. consumers who owned or purchased an iPhone or other Siri-enabled device between September 17, 2014 and the end of last year will be eligible for insurance claims.
How much money can eligible consumers receive?
It’s too early to know for sure, but the current settlement provides for each consumer to pay up to $20 per Siri-enabled device. The final amount can be influenced by two factors: the number of claims and how much the settlement amount is reduced to cover litigation costs and expenses.
Claims administrators estimate that only 3% to 5% of eligible consumers file a claim. Lawyers in the case are currently seeking nearly $30 million in fees and costs, but that amount could be lowered further by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White, who is overseeing the case in Oakland, California. A court hearing has been proposed for February 14 to consider the terms of the settlement.
Did Apple break any laws?
If this allegation is true, Apple may have violated federal wiretap laws and other laws designed to protect people’s privacy. However, Apple adamantly denies any wrongdoing and maintains that the wrongdoing would have been resolved had the case gone to court.
The company did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
Lawyers for consumers argued that Apple’s misconduct was so egregious that the company could be liable for $1.5 billion in damages if it loses.
Apple did not explain the reasons for the settlement, but major companies often find it makes more sense to settle a class action lawsuit than risk continued litigation costs and potential negative publicity. . The lawsuit also targets one of Apple’s core values, which frames privacy as a “fundamental human right.”
$95 million sounds like a lot of money, but it’s a pittance for Apple. Since September 2014, the company’s total profits have exceeded $700 billion. This gave the company a market value of approximately $3.7 trillion.
Should I worry about other devices’ microphones being used to spy on me?
perhaps. A lawsuit similar to the one filed against Siri is currently pending in federal court in San Jose, California, against Google and its Android software virtual assistant, which has been widely used in smartphones for years.
How do I disable Siri?
You can turn off Apple’s virtual assistant by following these simple steps.
1. Go to (Settings Siri & Search).
2. Turn off Hey Siri and press the Siri side button.
3. When the pop-up window appears, tap Turn Siri Off.
You can also disable individual apps’ access to your iPhone’s microphone by following these steps: Go to (Settings) (select an app) and toggle (Microphone) off.
