People across the United States are getting money deposits with names like “Lopez v. Apple” or “Lopez Voice Assistant” in their bank or payment apps. These deposits are part of a class action settlement linked to claims that Apple’s Siri recorded private talks without permission. Many users say the payment proves their approved claim has finally turned into real cash. Apple agreed to pay $95 million to settle the case but said it did nothing wrong. The legal notice confirmed that payments started on Friday ...

Core Viewpoint - Google and Apple are facing legal repercussions for secretly recording users' conversations without consent, leading to a combined settlement of $163 million to resolve the lawsuits [1]. Group 1: Apple - Apple has agreed to a $95 million settlement for a class-action lawsuit that accused the company of eavesdropping on users who did not activate Siri with the prompt "Hey, Siri" [1][4]. - Users who purchased Apple devices between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024, and experienced unintended Siri activations are eligible for compensation, capped at $20 per device, with a maximum of five devices per person [7][8]. - Apple reported a net income of $93.74 billion in the last fiscal year, indicating that the settlement amount represents approximately nine hours of profit for the company [8]. Group 2: Google - Google has reached a tentative $68 million settlement related to a lawsuit claiming that Google Assistant recorded users without the activation phrase "OK Google" [4][15]. - The settlement is part of a lawsuit filed in 2019 and is pending approval from a federal judge [4][15]. - The class-action suit against Google includes all users in the U.S. who purchased a Google device and had Gmail accounts linked to Google Assistant-enabled devices between May 18, 2016, and December 16, 2022 [15]. Group 3: User Experience and Advertising - Users reported receiving targeted advertisements for brands they discussed in conversations that were recorded, such as Olive Garden and Air Jordan [3][9]. - The lawsuits allege that recorded discussions were shared with third-party businesses, leading to these targeted ads [9]. Group 4: Company Responses - Both Apple and Google have denied any wrongdoing regarding the allegations made in the lawsuits [5]. - Apple has since implemented a policy requiring users to opt in before their recorded audio can be used to improve Siri's functionality [5].

Market Influence - YouTube's success was potentially significantly influenced by its pre-installation on Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch devices [1]

Group 1 - Apple has agreed to pay $95 million (approximately 685 million RMB) to settle a proposed class-action lawsuit regarding privacy violations by its Siri voice assistant [1] - The lawsuit claims that Siri unexpectedly activates, recording private conversations and sharing them with third parties such as advertisers [1] - Users who experienced unexpected Siri activation between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024, may be eligible for compensation, with a maximum of $20 (approximately 144 RMB) per device [2] Group 2 - A dedicated compensation application website has been launched by Apple, and eligible users have been notified via email [2] - Eligible devices include iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, HomePod, iPod touch, and Apple TV that support Siri [2] - Users can apply for compensation for up to five devices, and the final compensation amount will be adjusted based on the total number of valid claims [2]

Core Points - Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class-action lawsuit regarding unintended Siri activations that allegedly captured users' private communications [2] - Users can submit claims for up to five devices, potentially receiving up to $20 per device, with a total payout capped at $100 [2] - The settlement is pending approval from a judge, with payments contingent on this approval and any potential appeals [3] Device Eligibility - Eligible devices for the settlement include Siri-enabled iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, iMac, HomePod, iPod touch, or Apple TV purchased between September 2014 and December 31 [3][4] - The lawsuit covers devices purchased after the introduction of the "Hey, Siri" feature in 2014 [4] Company Response and Future Developments - Apple has not publicly commented on the lawsuit [4] - The company is currently working on an overhaul of Siri, which is expected to incorporate AI for a more personalized experience, although this has been delayed until next year [5] - Apple is facing another lawsuit related to misleading advertisements about its AI software features [5]