For years, it has Camel Marketing itself as the only company in the world that cares about its users’ privacy and is keen to protect it and prevent any attempt to violate it. Emphasizing that its devices are designed to secure users’ data and that even it cannot access that data. However, a lawsuit indicated that even the most privacy-conscious company can sometimes overstep the boundaries and violate privacy.
Apple and privacy
The story began when The Guardian published a report in 2019 explaining that the microphone Crab It is used to secretly record users' conversations in order to improve the service. Soon after, a class action lawsuit was filed against Apple. The iPhone maker was accused of using Siri to spy on users without their knowledge.
This is an old issue, unlike what is being circulated on social media.
It's not over yet, doubts are growing about Apple. New reports have emerged claiming that the company sold some users' data to advertisers. The evidence for this was in Apple Earnings Report Which I filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Specifically on page 38, you will find that Apple's device sales declined between 2022 and 2023. At the same time, revenue from the services division, which includes advertising, grew.
Apple responded
In response to the allegations, Apple issued an apology in August 2019 and discontinued its program that used human contractors to categorize Siri voice recordings. The company pledged to implement changes, including not keeping recordings and allowing users to choose whether to share their recordings for the purposes of improving and developing Siri. By October of that year, with the release of iOS 13.2, Apple introduced settings that allowed users to delete their Siri history and choose not to share audio recordings.
How many people are covered by the settlement?
It will be tens of millions of consumers. in the United States Those who owned or purchased iPhones and other Apple devices with Siri from September 17, 2014, through the end of last year, December 31, 2024, are eligible to receive a portion of the settlement amount.
This settlement is in the United States only, unlike what is circulating on social media.
Apple is expected to settle the claims for $95 million (£77 million or A$153 million), with each person in the settlement set to receive $20. The amount per user could, of course, increase or decrease depending on the number of claims. And the amount of the settlement fund is reduced to cover legal fees and costs.
Did Apple break any laws?
Apple violated federal wiretapping laws and other laws designed to protect users’ privacy. Apple has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and insists that it would have been cleared of any misconduct had the case gone to trial. The victims’ attorneys, on the other hand, allege that Apple’s misconduct was so egregious that the company could be liable for up to $1.5 billion in damages if it loses the case. Whether Apple did so intentionally or not, it should not be forgotten that Apple is one of the few companies in the world that cares about the privacy and security of its users. It is also keen to protect them from any malicious breaches or attacks.
Finally, you may wonder, if Apple is innocent, why did it resort to the settlement solution? The answer, my friend, is that large companies often decide that it makes sense to settle class action lawsuits rather than continue to incur legal costs and risk bad publicity for their brand and products. Also, this lawsuit targeted one of the core values that Apple is proud of, which is privacy, which it considers a basic human right. So the best solution would be to prevent these lawsuits from reaching the court by paying a settlement amount that is very small compared to the size and market value of the company.
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