While enjoying Siri voice assistant features, Apple was 'accidentally' recording private conversations. According to Reuters, Apple agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class-action lawsuit regarding Siri frequently 'accidentally' recording users' private conversations. According to the settlement agreement reached by Apple, the $95 million will be distributed equally to each device that recorded conversations without user consent, with each user receiving up to $20 in compensation.
Siri recording case characterized as a consumer dispute
Siri class action lawsuit, accusing Apple of infringing user privacy rights by intercepting voice commands with its voice assistant Siri. The plaintiffs claim that users are 'listened in on' without their knowledge, and Siri can be triggered accidentally. Additionally, the plaintiffs allege that Apple disclosed these inadvertently recorded conversations to third parties as part of what it claims is a 'quality improvement program.'
Siri voice assistant is suspected of monitoring user conversations
Two plaintiffs noted that after discussing Olive Garden restaurants, Easton baseball bats, and Pit Viper sunglasses, they began receiving advertisements for these brands. Additionally, one man interacted with his doctor using a Siri device and then received targeted medical advertisements.
According to the plaintiffs, when Siri is activated, phones, watches, and home speakers record user conversations, and Apple discloses this content to third parties without user consent.
This lawsuit lacks concrete evidence to confirm whether Siri has become a digital spy, recording users' conversations. California District Judge Jeffrey White 'denied' Apple's motion to dismiss the user complaints and determined that oral arguments were unnecessary.
An Apple spokesperson declined to comment on this case. Court documents indicate that DLA Piper and Morrison & Foerster law firms state that Apple denies any wrongdoing and points out that the plaintiffs' claims are merely 'based on conjecture.'
Apple states that the recording feature of Siri is related to a Random Identifier, not the user's Apple ID, name, or email address, and is only used for the purpose of 'improving Siri,' not for marketing.
Americans generally place a high value on privacy rights, and the legal fees incurred in suing Apple are substantial and time-consuming. Although Apple was ordered by the court to pay $95 million, each user only receives an average of $20, equivalent to the price of a bagel and a cup of coffee for breakfast. Americans are fighting for their personal space, not to be treated as 'products' by tech companies.
OpenAI announced in June this year a collaboration with Apple to integrate ChatGPT into the 'Apple experience.' 'User' has indeed become suspiciously a 'user' used for training machines. Can this ease consumer anxiety? Although public statements indicate that OpenAI will not store Siri user data and IP location, Apple has indeed collaborated with many 'third parties,' which Apple confirmed is for better 'user experience' purposes.
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