Apple's Siri Payments Begin After Claims the Assistant Recorded Personal Moments

Apple has started distributing settlement payments in a £69.7 million ($95 million) class-action case that alleged its Siri voice assistant recorded private conversations without user consent. According to a New York Post article, Apple's long-awaited payouts are now moving out to individuals who filed claims, offering compensation for alleged privacy intrusions tied to unintended Siri activations during personal conversations.

The development marks a rare moment when a major tech company has begun paying out in response to widespread consumer privacy concerns. A Reuters report revealed that while Apple continues to deny any wrongdoing, the disbursement of cash from its settlement fund is tangible proof that the legal dispute over Siri's listening behaviour has reached a conclusion for everyday users.

The Settlement Details

At the centre of the case—Lopez v. Apple Inc.—was a class-action lawsuit beginning in 2019 that claimed Apple's voice-activated assistant sometimes turned on without users saying 'Hey Siri' and recorded what people believed were private conversations. Those recordings were allegedly shared with third parties for quality checks and potentially tied to targeted advertisements.

Under the agreement, Apple set aside £69.7 million ($95 million) to be shared amongst eligible users. According to settlement administrators, payments are capped at £14.70 ($20) per Siri-enabled device, and claimants could submit up to five devices, meaning some recipients may receive up to £73.50 ($100) in total.

Who's Getting Paid

The settlement covers individuals in the United States who owned or purchased a Siri-enabled Apple device between 17 September 2014 and 31 December 2024, and who submitted a claim affirming that Siri was unintentionally activated during a private or confidential conversation. The Verge confirmed that the eligible devices include iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, Apple Watches, HomePods, and Apple TVs. Users had until 2 July 2025 to file claims, either by mail or online, even if they had not received an official notice.

or many affected users, the payouts represent both a modest financial reimbursement and a symbolic acknowledgement of the privacy concerns raised in the lawsuit. Some have already reported receiving direct deposits or e-cheques for their portion of the settlement, with amounts varying by device claims and the total number of valid submissions.

Apple's Response and Privacy Push

Apple has maintained that it never used Siri recordings for marketing or sold them to advertisers and that its settlement is not an admission of guilt. The company's stance has been that the settlement resolves costly litigation while allowing it to continue improving user privacy protections. Legal filings show the firm argued that Siri data has never been used to build marketing profiles or sold for any purpose.

A MacRumors article indicated that the case also prompted Apple to enhance privacy practices, including moving more Siri processing onto devices themselves, reducing how much data is uploaded to external servers, and giving users clearer control over what Siri records and stores.

What Comes Next

With the court's final approval of the settlement granted in late 2025, administrators began processing claims and working out disbursements. The exact amounts users receive depend on the total number of valid claims and administrative costs. For many claimants, receiving a settlement cheque is the first concrete result of a long legal battle that started with concerns about Siri's behaviour on personal devices.

The payouts serve as a reminder of the evolving debate around privacy, voice assistants, and how much trust consumers place in everyday technology. As payouts continue to arrive, the focus now shifts to how Apple and other tech firms will address similar privacy concerns in the future and whether this settlement will shape expectations around accountability in an era of ubiquitous voice-activated technology.