Latest news with #LopezVoiceAssistantSettlement
Mint
14-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Apple to pay $95 million over Siri privacy lawsuit: How to file a claim?
Apple has agreed to pay $95 million (approximately ₹ 810 crore) to settle a class action lawsuit that alleged the tech giant's voice assistant Siri recorded users without their consent. "Apple denies all of the allegations made in the lawsuit and denies that Apple did anything improper or unlawful," the settlement website states. According to the legal notice, users in the US who owned or purchased a Siri-enabled device between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024, and experienced such unintended activations, may be eligible for compensation. The lawsuit alleges that people's 'confidential or private communications were allegedly obtained by Apple and/or shared with third parties as a result of an unintended Siri activation.' Siri, a voice assistant activated by saying "Hey, Siri," can set reminders, control smart home devices and make recommendations. People who owned Siri-enabled iPhones and other Apple devices between Sept. 17, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2024, and who "experienced an unintended Siri activation during a confidential or private communication," are eligible to file a claim, according to the settlement website. Eligible devices include: Users can claim compensation of up to $20 per device, for a maximum of five devices, meaning some may receive up to $100. The final amount may vary depending on how many people submit claims. The settlement's final approval hearing is scheduled for August 1, 2025, at 9 a.m., but there could be an appeal that would delay the payout, the settlement website notes. "If there is no appeal, your settlement benefit will be processed promptly. Please be patient," it states. Consumers can visit the official Lopez Voice Assistant Settlement website to submit a claim. Those who received a claim ID via email or postcard can use it to file faster, but it's not mandatory. The deadline to submit claims is July 2, 2025. While Apple denies any wrongdoing, the company agreed to the settlement to avoid prolonged litigation. A final court hearing to approve the settlement is scheduled for August 1, 2025.
Axios
13-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
How to claim part of Apple's $95 million Siri lawsuit settlement
Some owners of Apple devices are eligible to file a claim for a piece of a $95 million class-action lawsuit settlement over allegations that voice-activated Siri assistant violated users' privacy by recording conversations. Why it matters: Time is running out to file a claim for the settlement against the tech giant. "Apple denies all of the allegations made in the lawsuit and denies that Apple did anything improper or unlawful," according to the settlement website. Lopez v. Apple lawsuit Catch up quick: In 2019, Apple suspended a program that had contractors listening to some Siri queries and apologized for how it handled recordings, Axios' Ina Fried reported. The resulting lawsuit, Lopez v. Apple, filed in 2019, alleges recordings happened even when users didn't say the prompt "Hey, Siri." The settlement was filed in court on Dec. 31, 2024. What they're saying: An Apple spokesperson said in a statement to Axios in January that "Siri has been engineered to protect user privacy from the beginning" and its "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," the spokesperson said. "We use Siri data to improve Siri, and we are constantly developing technologies to make Siri even more private." Apple settlement: Who is eligible to claim up to $100 The big picture: Individuals who purchased or owned devices with Siri enabled between Sept. 17, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2024, may receive up to $20 per device under the settlement. The amount "will increase or decrease pro rata depending on the total number of valid claims submitted, and Siri Devices claimed," documents show. "Settlement Class Members may submit claims for up to five Siri Devices on which they claim to have experienced an unintended Siri activation during a conversation intended to be confidential or private," the settlement says. iPhone, iPad among eligible Siri-enabled devices Eligible devices include Siri-enabled iPhones, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, iMac, HomePod, iPod touch or Apple TV, the court documents show. Apple Siri settlement deadline is July 2 Zoom in: The deadline to submit a claim is July 2, 2025. The postmark deadline to opt out of the settlement also is July 2 and requests need to be mailed in, per the settlement website. Siri claim form: How to file in Lopez Voice Assistant Settlement State of play: Eligible Apple customers can claim to be a part of the settlement on the Lopez Voice Assistant Settlement website. Some users received an email or postcard with a claim identification code and confirmation code that can be used to make the claim. If not, you can still submit a claim online. Yes, but: If you are still not sure whether you are included in the settlement class, you can contact the Settlement Administrator through one of the methods listed on the website's contact page. Penalty of perjury for submitting false claim form Threat level: For each device you are submitting a claim, you are required "to attest under penalty of perjury" that they "purchased or owned a Siri Device in the United States or its territories, and enabled Siri on that device/those devices." You also need to claim under oath that you "experienced at least one unintended Siri activation" and that it "occurred during a conversation intended to be confidential or private." Siri settlement payment: When to expect money What's next: The court is currently scheduled to hold a final approval hearing on Aug. 1, 2025 at 9am at the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Oakland Courthouse. The date and time can change and will be confirmed on the settlement website. The site notes if the settlement is approved, there can still be appeals and the process can take time. "If there is no appeal, your settlement benefit will be processed promptly. Please be patient," the website notes, adding settlement and payments updates will be posted on it.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Fact Check: Yes, the Lopez v. Apple lawsuit over Siri allegedly snooping on users is real. Here's how to cash in
Claim: A class-action lawsuit known as the "Lopez Voice Assistant Settlement" or "Lopez v. Apple" is an authentic settlement with Apple over claims that the company's voice assistant, Siri, eavesdropped on users. Rating: In early May 2025, Snopes readers began inquiring about an alleged class-action lawsuit against Apple over claims that the company's voice assistant service, Siri, eavesdropped on its device users. "I got a suspicious email from Lopez voice assistant class action suit about Siri," one reader wrote. Social media users on platforms like X and Reddit also claimed people could cash in on the purported settlement. This is an authentic $95 million settlement over claims that Apple "violated users' privacy by allegedly recording private and confidential conversations without consent" through Siri, and the company "disclosed such conversations to third parties, who listened to and transcribed the audio as part of an effort to improve Siri and Apple's dictation service," per a news release from the plaintiffs' lawyers in the case. Those who used Siri from Sept. 17, 2014, to Dec. 31, 2024, are eligible for a small portion of the sum as long as they file a claim by July 2, 2025. Thus, this is not a scam and we rate it legitimate. A court document confirming the existence of the settlement is available here; one of the plaintiff's names is Fumiko Lopez, hence "Lopez v. Apple." Page 2 describes certification and who's eligible (emphasis ours): Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(a) and (b)(3), the Settlement Class is preliminarily certified for the purpose of Settlement only as follows: All individual current or former owners or purchasers of a Siri Device, who reside in the United States and its territories, whose confidential or private communications were obtained by Apple and/or were shared with third parties as a result of an unintended Siri activation between September 17, 2014 and December 31, 2024. The Settlement Agreement defines "Siri Device" as a Siri-enabled iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, iMac, HomePod, iPod touch, or Apple TV. Under the terms of the document, Apple denies all liability for Siri's alleged snooping; officially, the courts did not rule in favor of either Apple or Lopez, instead allowing both sides to agree to the settlement. The official website for this settlement is the FAQ page lists the lawyers in the lawsuit as contact information for any inquiries from prospective claim beneficiaries. The website notes you can submit a claim form for $20 for up to five devices with Siri installed, or $100 total. This aligns with Page 6 of the court document (emphasis ours): Settlement Class Members may submit claims for up to five Siri Devices on which they claim to have experienced an unintended Siri activation during a conversation intended to be confidential or private. Settlement Class Members who submit valid claims shall receive a pro rata portion of the Net Settlement Amount for a Class Payment up to a cap of $20 per Siri Device. As of this writing, a final approval hearing for the courts to affirm the terms of the settlement will happen on Aug. 1, 2025, at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, and should the settlement be approved, users will "promptly" receive the cash, per the website's FAQ page (emphasis theirs): The Court will hold a hearing on August 1, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. (the "Final Approval Hearing"), to decide whether to approve the Settlement. The Court may move the Final Approval Hearing to a different date or time without providing further Notice to the Class. The date and time of the Final Approval Hearing can be confirmed on this website. If the Settlement is approved, there may be appeals. The appeal process can take time. If there is no appeal, your settlement benefit will be processed promptly. Please be patient. Levis, Christian. "Lowey Dannenberg." Lowey Dannenberg, 3 Jan. 2025, Accessed 9 May 2025. "Lopez v. Apple, Inc., 4:19-Cv-04577 - CourtListener, Accessed 9 May 2025. "Lopez Voice Assistant Settlement." Accessed 9 May 2025. White, Jeffrey S. "[PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING MOTION for PRELIMINARY APPROVAL of CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT; PRELIMINARILY CERTIFYING SETTLEMENT CLASS; and APPROVING FORM and CONTENT of CLASS NOTICE." CourtListener, 10 Feb. 2025, Accessed 9 May 2025.
