(Nexstar) – There’s a looming deadline for a $95 million settlement regarding claims that Apple’s Siri was inappropriately monitoring users and possibly sharing that data with unrelated parties.
While Apple firmly denies any wrongdoing, stating that “Siri is engineered to protect user privacy from the beginning,” the company has still decided to settle for a substantial amount.
The deadline for making a claim for a share of this settlement is fast approaching—it’s set for Wednesday, July 2nd. So, yeah, there’s not a lot of time left to jump in.
Who is eligible for the Siri settlement?
As outlined on the payment site, if you used an Apple device with Siri anytime between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024, you might be in luck. The key detail is that “confidential communications” had to be “unintentionally activated and shared by Apple or a third party.”
You might have received some mail or even an email about this—it’s easy to overlook these things, especially if they landed in spam. Both correspondences come with an identification code that you will need to apply for your part of the settlement.
How to file a settlement request
The identification code provided will help you fill out this online form. If you think you qualify but haven’t received any codes, the admin suggests that you submit a claim via the payment website. Just provide your contact details and device information.
If you go this route, make sure to include the email associated with that device and some proof of purchase—like a receipt. If you can’t find that, you might need to provide the serial number and model of each device instead.
How much can I get?
The amount you can receive varies based on how many eligible devices you have. If you’ve been affected by accidental activations during conversations that should have remained private, you can claim for up to five Siri-enabled devices.
Eligible devices include:
- iPhone
- iPad
- Apple Watch
- MacBook
- iMac
- HomePod
- iPod touch
- Apple TV
Settlement officials indicate that eligible individuals could receive up to $20 per device. So if you qualify for five devices, that’s potentially $100. But, of course, the actual amounts could shift up or down depending on how many claims are validated. There are reportedly tens of millions who may also be eligible, according to reports.
When will payments be issued?
Even if everything goes smoothly with your claim, it might take a bit before you see any money. The final hearing is scheduled for August 1, and the payment website notes that if there are no delays, payments could start later this year.
However, if history is any guide, sometimes it takes longer. For instance, settlements from 2022 involving Facebook and T-Mobile took quite a while before payments were actually distributed.
