According to 9to5Mac, iPhone users who filed claims in the $95 million Siri privacy class action settlement have started receiving their payouts via direct deposit. The settlement, which Apple agreed to in early 2023 without admitting wrongdoing, stems from a 2019 report that contractors overheard private conversations during Siri quality grading. To qualify, users needed to have owned a Siri-enabled device between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024, and experienced an unintended Siri activation. While initial estimates suggested payments up to $20 per device, the final payout is approximately $8.02 per device, with a maximum individual payout of $40.10 for those who submitted claims for up to five devices. Claims were accepted starting mid-2023, and payments for those who opted for prepaid cards or checks are also now being distributed.
The real story behind the payout
So, you get an unexpected $8 in your bank account. Not exactly life-changing, right? But here’s the thing: this isn’t really about the money. It’s a tangible, if small, reminder of a pretty significant privacy stumble. The core issue wasn’t that Apple was listening to *intentional* Siri requests for quality control. It was that Siri would accidentally activate—hearing a random phrase that sounded like “Hey Siri”—and start recording snippets of private life. Conversations about health, finances, intimate moments… you name it. And for a time, those accidental recordings were being reviewed by third-party contractors.
Apple’s privacy pivot
Look, Apple has built a massive brand around privacy being a “fundamental human right.” This episode was a direct hit to that reputation. And the company’s response is actually the more important part of this story. Since the 2019 Guardian report, Apple made two huge changes. First, they made the sharing of audio recordings for Siri grading a strict opt-in feature. You have to explicitly agree to it. Second, they brought that grading work in-house, cutting out the external contractors. You can read about their initial changes in their 2019 newsroom post. It was a necessary course correction, and it probably helped them settle this case.
Are we more secure now?
That’s the real question. I think the answer is a cautious “yes, but.” The opt-in policy is a major improvement. But the underlying risk of accidental activation—the thing that caused the problem in the first place—hasn’t been magically solved. It’s a hardware and software challenge. Microphones are always listening for that wake word, and false triggers happen. The difference now is that, unless you opted in, those accidental snippets shouldn’t be leaving your device for human review. The settlement website, LopezVoiceAssistantSettlement.com, is basically just the administrative endpoint for this closed case.
The bigger picture
Basically, this payout closes a chapter, but the book on voice assistant privacy is still being written. Every major tech company has faced similar scrutiny—Amazon with Alexa, Google with the Assistant. This settlement is a benchmark. It shows that when these systems fail in a way that breaches user trust, there can be a financial and reputational cost, even for a giant like Apple. For users, it’s a good reminder to periodically check your privacy settings on all your devices. And maybe, just maybe, think twice about where you leave that iPhone when you’re having a private chat. Old habits, and all that.
