Did Siri Overhear Your Private Chats? Apple's $95M Payout and How to Claim Your Share

Apple is in the spotlight once again, this time agreeing to a hefty $95 million settlement for a class-action lawsuit concerning its popular voice assistant, Siri. The core allegation? That Siri might have been an unintentional eavesdropper, disclosing private conversations to advertisers after "unintended Siri activations."

If you've ever owned an Apple device and used Siri, you might be wondering if you're due a piece of this pie. Here's a breakdown of what happened, Apple's response, and most importantly, how you can file a claim if you think you're eligible. The deadline to submit a claim is July 2, 2025.

Image credit: Shutterstock / Wachiwit

Understanding the Apple Siri Lawsuit

The lawsuit, known as 'Lopez vs Apple Inc,' brought forward claims from Apple device users who believed their private discussions were captured and potentially shared with third parties, like advertisers, due to Siri activating without a clear command. This allegedly happened sometime between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024.

You might be thinking, "But doesn't Siri only listen for 'Hey, Siri'?" That's Apple's stance. However, the plaintiffs argued that these "unintended Siri activations" – perhaps a misheard word or phrase similar to the wake command – led to private information being picked up. Some even claimed that these overheard conversations resulted in targeted ads. For instance, reports by Reuters mentioned plaintiffs who saw ads for sneakers or restaurants shortly after discussing them, and another who received ads for a surgical treatment after a private conversation with their doctor.

Image credit: Shutterstock / DedMityay

According to the official settlement website, the lawsuit alleged that "confidential or private communications" were "obtained by Apple and/or shared with third parties as a result of an unintended Siri activation."

Apple's Official Response to the Allegations

Despite agreeing to the $95 million payout, Apple has firmly denied any wrongdoing. The company stated that it settled the case primarily to "avoid additional litigation."

Apple's official line is clear: "Siri data has never been used to build marketing profiles and it has never been sold to anyone for any purpose.” They maintain that any data collected is used solely to improve Siri's performance and privacy. Furthermore, Apple emphasized that they had already addressed concerns about third-party grading of Siri audio back in 2019 by making changes to their privacy practices.

Image credit: Shutterstock / Tada Images

So, while the settlement is happening, Apple isn't admitting that Siri was spying for advertisers.

Are You Eligible For a Payout? Here's How to Claim

If you think your private conversations might have been unintentionally captured by Siri, you could be eligible for a payout. The maximum amount is $100 ($20 per device, for up to five Siri-enabled devices like iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, MacBooks, iMacs, HomePods, or Apple TVs).

To be eligible, you must confirm under oath that you meet these criteria:

• Between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024, you bought or owned a Siri-enabled device in the United States, and you had Siri activated on that device.
• You experienced an "unintended Siri activation" during that period.
• That unintended activation happened "during a conversation intended to be confidential and private."

How to File Your Claim:

1. Check Your Email: Many potentially eligible individuals may have received an email titled “Lopez Voice Assistant Class Action Settlement" from the address 'info@lopezvoiceassistantsettlement.com'. This email, despite sounding like it could be spam, is legitimate and contains your 'claimant identification code'. As The Verge reported, this email is genuine.
2. Visit the Official Claim Website: Whether you received an email or not, head to the official claim form page.
3. Submit Your Claim:
   • If you have a claimant ID from the email, you can use that.
   • If not, click "New Claim" and fill in your details.

Image credit: Lopez v Apple Inc

The deadline to submit your claim is July 2, 2025.

It's not a life-changing sum for most, but if you believe you were affected by unintended Siri activations during private moments, it's worth looking into. Make sure to gather any relevant information about your Apple device ownership during the specified period and carefully consider the eligibility criteria before submitting your claim.