Apple Responds to $95 Million Class-Action Lawsuit: Never Utilized Siri for Marketing Data Nor Sold It

Last week, Apple agreed to a $95 million settlement regarding a lawsuit alleging Siri's eavesdropping on users' conversations. The settlement, which did not require Apple to admit any wrongdoing, represents a common resolution big corporations opt for in long-standing legal disputes.

Despite Apple's denial of the allegations, the settlement has sparked numerous conspiracy theories. Critics claim Apple used Siri to listen to users' conversations, digitizing and selling that data to marketing firms for targeted/personalized advertising.

It's essential to note that, like many software products, Siri does collect user data. Apple admits to extracting snippets of Siri interactions, anonymizing them, and then sending this data to contractors to evaluate Siri's response accuracy.

While this practice may seem invasive, it is a standard industry practice. Many software programs automatically enroll users in "experience improvement programs" that collect sensitive usage data. This is why it's often recommended that users check settings and opt-out of these programs upon installing new software.

In response to the lawsuit, Apple has issued a comprehensive statement asserting that Siri data has never been used to create marketing profiles or sold for any purpose.

Apple clarified that the decision to settle was made to avoid prolonging a dispute over third-party grading issues resolved back in 2019. The company emphasized that Siri data is solely used to improve and refine Siri's functionality, ensuring user privacy.

For users concerned about their privacy, Apple advises disabling Siri transcription. This can be done by navigating to iOS Settings, selecting Siri, and accessing the Siri & Dictation History. From there, users can delete their data. For those still feeling uneasy, disabling Siri's wake function is also an option.