Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to resolve a civil lawsuit that claims the privacy-centric company used its virtual assistant Siri to eavesdrop on individuals utilising its iPhones and other popular gadgets.
The tentative settlement, submitted Tuesday in an Oakland Court, California, seeks to conclude a lawsuit from five years ago that accused Apple of secretly activating Siri to capture conversations for more than a decade.
In the settlement, Apple is not admitting to any wrongdoing, which still requires the approval of US District Judge Jeffrey White.
Attorneys involved in the case have suggested scheduling a court hearing in Oakland on February 14 to assess the terms. If sanctioned, the settlement would enable tens of millions of consumers who possessed iPhones and other Apple devices from September 17, 2014, through the end of the previous year to submit claims.
Every eligible consumer could receive as much as $20 for each Siri-enabled device included in the settlement, although the amount received may differ based on the total number of claims filed.
According to court documents, it is estimated that only 3% to 5% of eligible consumers will likely submit claims. Consumers qualified for compensation will be limited to claiming for a maximum of five devices.
