Siri’s Secret Life as a Spy Just Cost Apple $95 Million

Remember the first time you said "Air Jordans" out loud, and your phone immediately turned into a sneaker dealer whispering, “You want kicks? I gotcha”? Yeah, turns out your tin-foil hat moments over targeted ads weren’t so crazy after all. Siri was creeping, and now Apple’s paying $95 million to settle a lawsuit that claims their virtual assistant was moonlighting as a secret spy.

In another episode of techs never-ending privacy docuseries, Apple has agreed to this settlement over claims that Siri was eavesdropping on private conversations, even when she wasn’t called. Allegedly, Siri didn’t wait for her prompt and instead recorded chatter, which may have found its way to advertisers.

Here’s what’s hilarious… Apple has built its reputation on being the tech company that values privacy above all. Remember their marketing campaign: “What happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone”? Unfortunately, it seems some of what happened didn’t stay put.

The accusations suggest Siri was picking up everything from discussions about dinner plans to sensitive medical details. For a company led by Tim Cook (who often emphasizes that privacy is a fundamental human right) this scandal feels like a major contradiction.

To be clear, Apple isn’t admitting guilt. Instead, they’ve opted to settle the case and avoid a prolonged legal battle. The $95 million payout covers claims that Siri overstepped her bounds between 2014 and 2024… spanning multiple devices and software updates.

If you owned a Siri-enabled device during that time (you probably did), you might qualify for compensation. How much? Up to $20 per device, capped at five devices. Sure, it’s not gonna pay the mortgage, but it might cover a fancy coffee or 1/3 of an Apple polishing cloth.

For Apple, $95 million is barely a slap on the wrist… it’s the equivalent of just nine hours of profit for a company that pulled in $93.74 billion last year. For context, the lawyers handling the case are walking away with nearly $30 million in fees, leaving consumers to squabble over their $20 crumbs.

Assuming U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White approves the settlement, eligible users can start filing claims. But don’t expect a big turnout… only about 3-5% of folks are expected to bother. That means fewer people splitting the pie. And Apple’s not alone… a similar lawsuit is pending against Google’s Voice Assistant. Maybe Alexa should start lawyer shopping.

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Stock.News has positions in Alphabet, Apple, Darden, and Nike mentioned in article.