Translated material
Apple agreed to pay $95 million to voice assistant victims
Apple has agreed to end a five-year legal battle over the protection of personal data of users affected by the virtual assistant Siri. Under the terms of the preliminary agreement, the company will pay customers $95 million, The Washington Post reported .
Apple has agreed to sign a settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit filed in a US court alleging that Siri could be accidentally activated by voice and record people's conversations without their consent.
The plaintiffs insisted that Apple violated privacy by sending recordings made by Siri to third parties, writes The Washington Post. According to journalists, the text of the settlement agreement on behalf of Apple states that the company “continues to deny all alleged wrongdoing.”
Which Harry Potter character are you? Wrap yourself in a blanket, take the “Cold” test and watch the entire film franchise at once
World 2 minute read
Siri originally launched as a standalone mobile voice-activated assistant app built into the iPhone 4S in 2011. In an effort to make the assistant more functional, in 2014 Apple launched the “Hey Siri” feature, which allowed you to activate the assistant by simply saying “Hey Siri” - without having to press a button or click on an application icon.
Over time, users found that the assistant was capable of "hearing wake words too hard," including when the person had no intention of calling Siri. After accidental activation, the assistant began creating audio files, recording audio from moments that should not have remained private. These files later reached Apple's partners around the world, providing the company's advertisers and contractors with "full information about conversations and confidential transactions," The Washington Post journalists recounted the plaintiffs' claims.
The terms of the settlement require Apple to “confirm” the removal of audio collected by Siri before October 2019 and also publish a detailed explanation of the rules for participating in the Improve Siri program.
The director of the richest company was shot dead in the city center. The possible killer immediately became the idol of millions
Internet and memes 16 min read
The settlement is to be reviewed by District Judge Jeffrey S. White, the newspaper reported. If a judge signs off on the settlement in its current form, virtually anyone who owns an iPhone or similar gadget will be able to force Apple to pay up to $20 for each of their devices. There should be no more than five devices, writes The Washington Post.
To qualify for the payout, an Apple user must own a "Siri-enabled device" from September 17, 2014 to December 31, 2024. Such devices include iPhone, iPad, HomePod speakers, Mac computers, Apple watches and Apple TVs, journalists specified. Applicants must be prepared to swear under oath that they experienced a situation where Siri turned on without specific activation, and that the accidental activation occurred in the middle of a “conversation intended for private use.”
In order not to miss the main materials of “Cold”, subscribe to our social networks!
