Apple settles eavesdropping class action for $153 million

It’s far too early to tell for certain, but the settlement currently envisions paying out up to $US20 per Siri-enabled device, with each consumer limited to a maximum payout. The final amount could be affected by two factors: the number of claims and how much of the settlement fund is reduced to cover legal fees and costs.

A claims administrator estimates only 3 per cent to 5 per cent of eligible consumers will file claims. The lawyers in the case are currently seeking nearly $US30 million ($48 million) in fees and expenses, but that figure could still be lowered by US District Judge Jeffrey White, who is overseeing the case in Oakland, California. A proposed February 14 court hearing has been proposed to review the settlement terms.

Did Apple break any laws?

If the allegations were true, Apple may have violated federal wiretapping laws and other statutes designed to protect people’s privacy.

But Apple adamantly denied any wrongdoing and maintained that it would have been cleared of any misconduct had the case gone to trial. Lawyers representing the consumers asserted that Apple’s misbehaviour was so egregious that the company could have been liable for $US1.5 billion ($2.4 billion) in damages if it lost the case.

Although Apple hasn’t explained the reasons for making the settlement, major companies often decide it makes more sense to resolve class-action cases rather than to continue to run up legal costs and risk the chance of potentially bad publicity. The lawsuit also targeted one of Apple’s core values framing privacy as a “fundamental human right”.

Although $US95 million sounds like a lot of money, it’s a pittance for Apple. Since September 2014, the company’s total profits have exceeded $US700 billion ($1.13 billion) – a streak of prosperity that has helped propel the company’s market value to about $US3.7 trillion ($6 trillion).

Do I need to be worried, and how do I disable Siri?

Perhaps. A case similar to the one filed against Siri is still active in a San Jose, California, federal court against Google and the virtual assistant in its Android software, which has been widely used in smartphones for years.

You can turn Apple’s virtual assistant off by following these simple steps: