How to Claim Payout From Apple's Siri $95 Million Eavesdropping Case

Users of any Apple products that utilize Siri could be eligible to receive money from the company's $95 million payout to settle a class action lawsuit alleging employees eavesdropped on users.

As reported by by Forbes, the lawsuit accused the company of capturing conversations users had with Siri after activating the digital assistant software accidentally. Apple allegedly paid contractors to listen to these accidental Siri interactions—which included everything from medical appointments to sexual encounters and even illegal activities—and provide the information to advertisers. Apple filed a preliminary settlement on Dec. 13, 2024, which is currently awaiting approval.

To be eligible for the a portion of the payout, users will need to be based in the United States and owned any Apple device with Siri between Sept. 17, 2014 and Dec. 31, 2024. A website will be set up in the near future, which will allow users to claim $20 for every Apple device they own up to a total of five products. The payout could potentially be higher or lower depending on how many people claim the money they're owed. Everyone eligible will have until May 15, 2025 to submit their claim.

The products that have Siri include any iPhone, iMac, iPad, MacBook, Apple Watch, iMac, HomePod, iPod touch, and Apple TV. Anyone filing a claim will need to swear under oath that they activated Siri accidentally during a confidential or private conversation not intended to be recorded.

Apple's decision to agree to a settlement in the class-action lawsuit does not mean that they admitted to selling people's private data. The company said that it "continues to deny any and all alleged wrongdoing and liability, specifically denies each of the Plaintiffs' contentions and claims, and continues to deny that the Plaintiffs' claims and allegations would be suitable for class action status." The decision to settle is to avoid litigation fees.

Plaintiffs mentioned in the lawsuit said that they were shown adverts for products after mentioning them in private conversations, including Air Jordans and specific surgical procedures. In a report by The Guardian in 2019, Apple said that only a select handful of recordings made with Siri were shared with contractors and they would no longer retain recordings.