"Hey Siri, are you listening to me?" If you have an Apple device, you may have heard about this class action lawsuit brought against Apple by multiple device owners claiming Siri is listening, recording, and sharing private information when it isn't supposed to.
According to Reuters, two plaintiffs received ads for Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden restaurants after briefly mentioning them. More frighteningly, one plaintiff said he started seeing ads for "a brand name surgical treatment after discussing it, he thought privately, with his doctor."
And it's not just claims from individuals that caused this legal battle to escalate. Apple whistleblower Thomas le Bonniec spoke to The Guardian in 2020 and revealed that he "listened to hundreds of recordings every day, from various Apple devices (eg. iPhones, Apple Watches, or iPads). These recordings were often taken outside of any activation of Siri, eg in the context of an actual intention from the user to activate it for a request."
Ultimately, Apple denied wrongdoing but agreed to a proposed settlement totaling $95 million. The settlement still needs to be approved by a federal judge, but it could pay out for every Siri device you own. But is applying for the payout worth your time?
You could get up to $20 per Siri device, or possibly much less
The settlement agreement reads, "Settlement Class Members who submit valid claims shall receive a pro rata portion of the Net Settlement Amount for a Class Payment up to a cap of $20 per Siri Device." If you have a MacBook, an iPad, and an iPhone, that sounds great. A $60 payout, sign me up.
But most likely, the payout won't end up being $20 per Siri device. The amount received will go up or down "depending on the total number of valid claims submitted, and Siri Devices claimed."
When thinking about the sheer number of Apple device users who will be trying to claim this money, along with how much of the initial $95 million settlement will be going towards fees, the chances that you'll be able to snag $20 per device are slim.
Of course, there's no way to know how much you may be paid out before filling out the claim form. It could be a reasonable $10 to $15 per device, or it could be $1 to $3 per device. Unless you have a lot of Apple devices to file a claim for, it may not be worth your time to fill out the form.
