(NEXSTAR) — If you’ve ever suspected that Siri was listening in on you, you only have a few days left to stake your claim in a settlement reached in a class action lawsuit against Apple.
The settlement, amounting to $95 million, originated from a lawsuit filed by a resident of California, who alleged that Siri, Apple’s voice-activated assistant, could be triggered without permission and capture conversations, which were then shared with third parties. According to Reuters, plaintiffs noticed advertisements for Olive Garden and Air Jordan shoes after discussing them near an Apple device.
Although Apple denied any wrongdoing in the matter, stating to Nexstar that “Siri has been engineered to protect user privacy from the beginning,” the company consented to the $95 million settlement.
The deadline to file a settlement claim is fast approaching, though. Here’s what you need to know.
Who qualifies for a Siri settlement payment?
You must have had a Siri-equipped Apple device between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024. During that time, your “confidential communications” must have been “obtained by Apple and/or were shared with third parties as a result of an unintended Siri activation.”
You may have already received an email (which may have gone to your spam folder) or a postcard notifying you that you may qualify. Either correspondence will have an identification code and a confirmation code used to apply for a payout.
If you meet the qualifications and have not received an email or postcard, you will be able to file a claim on the settlement’s website.
How to submit a settlement claim
Claims can be submitted online, regardless of whether you received an email, a postcard, or neither.
Codes provided via email or postcard can be entered into this online form.
If you believe you qualify for the settlement and did not receive those codes, administrators say you can submit a new claim on the settlement website. There, you’ll be asked to fill out a form with your contact information and details about your device (or devices) that may be impacted.
For the latter, you’ll need to include the email address linked to the device and proof of purchase, like a receipt or an invoice. Without proof of purchase, you’ll need to provide the serial number and model for each device.
How much could you receive?
While the settlement totals $95 million, you’ll receive far less. You can submit claims for up to five Siri-enabled devices that you believe were unintentionally activated during a conversation you meant to be confidential or private.
Qualifying Apple devices include:
- iPhones
- iPads
- Apple Watches
- MacBooks
- iMacs
- HomePods
- iPod touches
- Apple TVs
Settlement officials say you may receive up to $20 per qualifying Siri device, meaning at best, you could receive $100 (for five qualifying devices). The payout could increase or decrease based on the number of valid claims, however. Tens of millions of people may qualify for the settlement, Reuters previously reported.
When is the claim deadline?
The deadline is currently July 2, 2025, according to the settlement website. That is also the final day to exclude yourself or object to the settlement.
A final hearing is scheduled for August 1, 2025, which means the earliest approved payments could arrive is later this year. However, the timelines of other class action lawsuit settlements show it could take much longer. Two settlements reached in 2022 — one against Facebook, another against T-Mobile — didn’t start dispersing payments until this year.
