Apple's Privacy Settlement Deadline Is Coming Fast. Here's How to Sign Up

CNET

4 hours ago

If you want your cut of the settlement payout from Apple, you'll need to act fast.
Viva Tung/CNET
If you've ever accidentally triggered Siri and felt mildly annoyed, you're not alone. But what if that frustration could actually earn you some money? Thanks to a recent $95 million class-action settlement, Apple customers may be eligible for a payout if they've accidentally triggered Siri during a private conversation. The catch? The deadline to file a claim is quickly approaching, and time is running out.
Apple agreed to the settlement after being sued for allegedly allowing Siri to listen in on private conversations without consent. Now, a claims website is live, and if you meet the criteria, you could get a piece of the payout. Whether you're a longtime iPhone user or just want to see if you're eligible, here's everything you need to know before the window closes.
The settlement period covers a full decade and given the ubiquity of Apple products, there's a good chance you'll be eligible for a piece of the payout. If you meet the eligibility standards, you can claim a payment for up to five Siri-enabled devices, with a cap on how much you can receive per device. We'll get into the specific amount a little bit later.
The impact of this settlement has the potential to be wide-ranging, given the reach of Apple's product ecosystem. According to a Business of Apps report from November, citing company and market research data, there were roughly 155 million active iPhones in the US as of 2024, a number that's been steadily increasing since the product's debut. Similarly, active Apple TV streaming boxes in the US have also been increasing year to year, with more than 32 million active in the US as of 2023.
To find out if you're eligible for this settlement, read on. For more, find out what's up with the recent delay of T-Mobile data breach settlement checks.
Who sued Apple and why?
This class action lawsuit, Lopez et al v. Apple Inc., was first brought against Apple in 2019, with plaintiffs alleging that they were routinely recorded by their Apple devices after unintentionally activating the Siri virtual assistant, violating their privacy in the process. They further alleged that these recordings were then sold to advertisers and used to target them with ads online.
Specific incidents mentioned in the suit include plaintiffs seeing ads online for brands like Air Jordan and Olive Garden after Apple device users discussed them out loud. In some instances, plaintiffs claimed that their devices began listening to them without them having said anything at all. At least one plaintiff involved in the case was a minor when it was first filed.
Though it agreed to the settlement, Apple hasn't admitted any wrongdoing.
"Siri has been engineered to protect user privacy from the beginning," Apple said in a statement sent to CNET. "Siri data has never been used to build marketing profiles and it has never been sold to anyone for any purpose. Apple settled this case to avoid additional litigation so we can move forward from concerns about third-party grading that we already addressed in 2019. We use Siri data to improve Siri and we are constantly developing technologies to make Siri even more private."
Who is eligible for this class action settlement?
The eligibility requirements for this settlement are fairly broad, as it's open to anyone who owned a Siri-enabled Apple device between Sept. 17, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2024. In order to opt in, you'll have to swear under oath that at some point during that period, you accidentally activated Siri on each device you want to get a payment for, and that these activations occurred during a conversation meant to be private.
Siri-enabled devices include iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, MacBooks, iMacs, Apple TV streaming boxes, HomePod speakers and iPod Touches.
How can I opt in to this Apple settlement?
As of Thursday, May 8, a website has been launched where Apple customers can claim a portion of the settlement, if they believe they qualify. If you're looking to submit a claim, you have until July 2, 2025, to do so.
It's not clear at this time when payments will be disbursed to approved claimants but it will surely be sometime after Aug. 1, 2025, when a final approval hearing is scheduled.
How much can I get from the class action settlement?
Payments per device are to be capped at $20, although depending on how many people opt in to the settlement, claimants could receive less than that. Each individual can only claim payments for up to five devices, meaning the maximum possible payment you could receive from the settlement is $100.
For more on Apple, see why a majority of users don't care for Apple Intelligence and find out which iOS setting can stop apps from tracking you.