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Apple has agreed to pay $95 million in cash to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging that its voice-activated assistant Siri violated users' privacy. The preliminary settlement was filed Tuesday evening in federal court in Oakland, California, and is subject to approval by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White. Mobile device owners have complained that Apple routinely records private conversations after users accidentally activate Siri and shares those conversations with third parties, such as advertisers. Voice assistants typically respond when you use a keyword like “Hey, Siri.” The two plaintiffs said references to Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden restaurants promote these products. One person said he received an ad for a branded surgical treatment after a private conversation with his doctor. The class period is from September 17, 2014 to December 31, 2024. The incident occurred when Siri activated the “Hey, Siri” feature, which allegedly resulted in unauthorized recordings. It is estimated that the course's tens of millions of participants could earn up to $20 per Siri-enabled device, such as an iPhone or Apple Watch. Apple denied any wrongdoing in agreeing to the settlement.

The Cupertino, California-based company and its lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday. Attorneys for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to a similar request. They can seek $1.1 million in fees and costs, up to $28.5 million from the settlement fund. For Apple, whose net income was $93.74 billion in its most recent fiscal year, $95 million represents about nine hours of profit. A similar lawsuit by users of Google's voice assistant is pending in federal court in San Jose, California, which is in the same county as Oakland. The plaintiffs are represented by the same law firm that worked on the Apple case. The case of Lopez et al v. Apple Inc., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, No. 19-04577.