(NEXSTAR) — Have you ever suspected Siri of spying on you, especially after you suddenly received targeted ads about, say, shoes or a restaurant after you had a conversation about them near your Apple device? You may be entitled to a portion of a recently reached settlement in a class action lawsuit.
The $95 million settlement stems from a lawsuit filed by California resident Fumiko Lopez, which claimed Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant, could be activated without consent and record conversations. The suit alleged that the recorded information would be provided to third parties, citing a report from The Guardian, which explained that contractors confirmed recordings included conversations people had with their doctors, “drug deals,” and other intimate moments.
Two plaintiffs in the case said they received targeted ads regarding Air Jordan shoes and Olive Garden after speaking about them near an Apple device with Siri, according to Reuters.
Apple denied wrongdoing in the case, previously telling Nexstar that “Siri has been engineered to protect user privacy from the beginning,” but agreed to the $95 million settlement.
Do I qualify for a payment?
You must have had a Siri-equipped Apple device between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024. During that time, your “confidential communications” must have been “obtained by Apple and/or were shared with third parties as a result of an unintended Siri activation.”
You may have already received an email or postcard confirming that you may be entitled to payment in the case. Either correspondence will have an identification code and a confirmation code used to apply for a payout.
If you meet the qualifications and have not received an email or postcard, you will be able to file a claim on the settlement’s website.
How do I submit a claim?
If you qualify for the Siri settlement and received an email or postcard about it, you can enter the necessary codes online to make a claim.
If you believe you qualify for the settlement and did not receive those codes, administrators say you can submit a new claim on the settlement website. There, you’ll be asked to fill out a form with your contact information and details about your device (or devices) that may be impacted.
For the latter, you’ll need to include the email address linked to the device and proof of purchase, like a receipt or an invoice. Without proof of purchase, you’ll need to provide the serial number and model for each device.
How much will I receive?
While the settlement totals $95 million, you’ll receive far less. You can submit claims for up to five Siri-enabled devices that you believe were unintentionally activated during a conversation you meant to be confidential or private.
Qualifying Apple devices include:
- iPhones
- iPads
- Apple Watches
- MacBooks
- iMacs
- HomePods
- iPod touches
- Apple TVs
Settlement officials say you may receive up to $20 per qualifying Siri device, meaning at best, you could receive $100 (for five qualifying devices). The payout could increase or decrease based on the number of valid claims, however.
Tens of millions of people may qualify for the settlement, Reuters previously reported.
How long do I have to file a claim, and when will I be paid?
The deadline is currently July 2, 2025, according to the settlement website. That is also the final day to exclude yourself or object to the settlement.
A final hearing is scheduled for August 1, 2025, which means approved payments will likely not arrive until later this year.
