Apple agreed to pay $95 million in cash to settle a proposed class action lawsuit claiming that its voice-activated Siri assistant violated users’ privacy.
A preliminary settlement was filed on Tuesday night in the Oakland, California federal court, and requires approval by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White. Mobile device owners complained that Apple routinely recorded their private conversations after they activated Siri unintentionally, and disclosed these conversations to third parties such as advertisers.
Voice assistants typically react when people use “hot words” such as “Hey, Siri.” Two plaintiffs said their mentions of Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden restaurants triggered ads for those products. Another said he got ads for a brand name surgical treatment after discussing it, he thought privately, with his doctor.
Class members, estimated in the tens of millions, may receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device, such as iPhones and Apple Watches. Apple denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to similar requests. They may seek up to $28.5 million in fees, plus $1.1 million for expenses, from the settlement fund. The $95 million is about nine hours of profit for Apple, whose net income was $93.74 billion in its latest fiscal year.
Reference: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/30/business/wirkin-walmart-hermes
Key vocabularies
| Vocabulary | Part of Speech | Explanation (解釋) | Sample Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary | Adjective | Something that comes before a main event (初步的) | The preliminary findings suggest that more studies are needed. |
| Unintentionally | Adverb | Done accidentally or without planning (無意地) | She unintentionally left her keys at the restaurant. |
| Disclose | Verb | To reveal private or secret information (透露) | The company refused to disclose financial details of the deal. |
| Plaintiff | Noun | A person who brings a lawsuit in court (原告) | The plaintiff argued that their privacy had been violated. |
Reading Comprehension
- What is the lawsuit against Apple about?
- What are some examples mentioned where Siri was unintentionally activated?
1.Its about voice-activated Siri assistant violated users’ privacy.
2. (1)Seraching Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden restaurants triggered ads for those
products.
(2)Getting ads for a brand name surgical treatment after discussing it, he thought privately,
with his doctor.