A $95 million class action settlement in this economy? We take the wins we can get. The Lopez class action settlement against Apple is set to give eligible Siri device owners a share of the wins if they file their claim before July 2, 2025. What is the Apple device settlement about? A lawsuit was filed against Apple, which claimed the company was inadvertently listening in on private conversations without user consent, even sharing the data with third parties.
Of course, Apple denied the claim that it did any such thing, but the company chose to settle the claim instead of hashing it out further in court. Now the Apple payout to iPhone owners and other Siri users is moving forward, with a total potential payout of $100 per individual on the line. If you think you’ve been a victim of Siri recording your conversations, then you might want to stake your claim on the Apple settlement in 2025. How? Where? Let’s break it down.
The allegation against Apple’s Siri are dire but the company is about to make the problem go away. (Image: Pexels)
What Is the Apple-Lopez Class Action Settlement About?
To understand the Lopez class action settlement against Apple, we have to turn back the clocks to 2019 when a whistleblower at Apple told The Guardian that company contractors in quality control regularly listened in on recordings of accidental Siri activations.
These recordings were often deeply personal, exposing medical information and intimate conversations of its users. Soon after, a US citizen, Fumiko Lopez, filed a lawsuit against Apple, citing the Guardian article and requesting class-action status to be attributed to the case, alleging a violation of consumer protection and privacy laws.
How Did Apple Respond to the Allegations?
Apple denied any wrongdoings in the matter of the lawsuit, but the company apologized for retaining user recordings. It explained that Siri recordings were never used for marketing and it then stopped maintaining user recordings in 2019.
The company continues to claim that it has not done anything improper or unlawful with the recordings, but there is no public evidence to support or deny these claims. Apple posted a public statement to explain that it “never used Siri data to build marketing profiles, never made it available for advertising, and never sold it to anyone for any purpose.”
We may never know whether this is true, as Apple decided to settle the class action claim instead of allowing investigations to proceed.
What Does the Apple Device Settlement Mean for the Company?
A settlement means a heavy payout, more so because of the class action status and its implication of compensating a wider range of customers. Apple will have to spend $95 million to settle the case, and not all of it will be divided among affected customers.
According to the page set up for the lawsuit, the money will be paid out into a settlement fund and first, deductions will be made for costs of notice and settlement administration, attorney fees and litigation costs, taxes, service awards for the class representatives who filed the claim, and other administrative costs.
After the deductions are complete, the “Net Settlement Amount” will be determined and divided among eligible settlement class members. The Settlement Administrator will manage the rest of the distribution to users after the claims are processed and individual payouts are determined.
Despite the considerable size of the Apple-Lopez class action settlement, this is pocket change for the Cupertino company. SFGate estimates this is just 0.1% of the $93.7 billion profit the company made last fiscal year.
Who Is Included in the Apple Privacy Violation Settlement?
If you reside in the US and own or have previously owned, a Siri-enabled device, you might be eligible to file a claim under the Lopez class action settlement. You’ll have to check your eligibility before you file a claim. The guidelines on eligibility are pretty straightforward:
- Current or former owners of a Siri device between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024
- This includes iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, MacBooks, iMacs, HomePod speakers, Apple TV streaming devices, or even iPod Touches
- You must have lived in the US or its territories during the period
- You have to be willing to swear under oath that you believe Siri was unintentionally recording conversations
- The recording and sharing of your conversations occurred because Siri turned on when it wasn’t intended to be activated
Who Is Excluded from the Apple Class Action Claim?
If you don’t meet the criteria listed above, then you cannot cash in on Siri’s eavesdropping payout accusations. Additionally, those directly associated with Apple also cannot claim the payout. This includes:
- Apple itself
- Entities where Apple has a controlling interest, such as subsidiaries
- Apple directors, offices, and employees
- Apple’s legal representatives, successors, and associated individuals
- Any judicial offices who were assigned to the case or their staff and immediate family members
Are you going to file a claim for the payout with the Apple settlement? (Image: Pexels)
How Much Can Claimants Receive in the Case?
If you meet the eligibility criteria mentioned in the Apple-Lopez voice assistant class action claim, you can expect to receive:
- Up to $20 per eligible device, with a maximum of five devices per person
- The total potential payout per individual is up to $100
- The actual amount received will vary once the net settlement amount is finalized and the number of claims calculated
How to Claim the Apple Settlement in 2025?
Some eligible customers may have already received an email or other communication notifying them of their eligibility. Even if you haven’t received it yet, you can go to the “Lopez Voice Assistant Settlement” website to file your claim before July 2, 2025.
- If you received an email or postcard with a Claim ID number, you can use the Claim Identification code while making the claim
- If not, you can fill out a form on the website and provide updated contact information, the email associated with the Apple ID, and the serial numbers and models of each of the eligible devices
- You will have to declare under oath that you experienced the Siri activation during private conversations
- Add your preferred payment method and you should be able to complete filing the claim
If you are a Class Member but want to opt out of the settlement, you can email your request to the Lopez Voice Assistant Settlement Administrator before the deadline. This will exclude you from any payouts in this case, but it will also allow you to sue Apple on any claims arising out of or related to the claim in this case at a later date.
What are Some Important Deadlines to Remember?
The Siri lawsuit settlement deadline has been set for July 2, 2025, so if you believe that you have been a victim as alleged in the lawsuit, make sure to file your claim before them. The final approval hearing for the case will be held on August 1, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. at the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The final hearing may be rescheduled so ensure you check the website for updates.
This is when the Court will make a final decision on the case and establish all the expenses and fees to be paid in the case, as well as the Service Awards. You do not have to attend the hearing in order to be eligible for the claim. If the settlement is approved, the payout will be distributed to all the eligible claimants.
What’s Next for the Apple-Lopez Class Action Settlement
Unless any appeals are made or objections raised, the Apple device settlement should be approved during the final hearing in August, after which eligible claimants will start receiving their shares of the payout. Apple continues to maintain its innocence on the matter and stays adamant that all Siri-related data is collected only to improve the tool. This is hard for many to believe.
Apple agrees to pay each claimant $20 in a 95 Million class action lawsuit for SPYING ON US.
We won’t admit wrong doing but we spied on your personal conversations for 10 YEARS and sold them to third parties but don’t worry, here’s $20.
THIS SHOULD BE A PRISON SENTENCE FOR… pic.twitter.com/7Uu7GmzGWV
— 🇺🇸🍩 JULIE DONUTS 🇺🇸🍩 (@Juliesnark1731) May 10, 2025
Particularly in 2025, with the rise of the all-AI practice, users are constantly on edge about their information being treated like fodder to improve AI tools. It’s no secret that tech giants rely on sharing your online activity and information with marketers, which is why you know to expect an ad on Instagram as soon as you look up a product.
Now that the Apple Siri settlement is going through, Apple can put the matter to rest and move forward with its practices as intended without being hounded over the truth behind Siri recording conversations or using that data externally.
Do you think the Apple-Lopez class action settlement puts the matter of Siri recording private conversations to rest? Let us know what you think. Subscribe to Technowize for more updates on all things tech, gaming, and beyond.