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Got a house full of Apple gadgets? The company might owe you some money.
Earlier this year, the company agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that argued that its Siri virtual assistant could be activated unintentionally, and that it recorded audio without specific consent and later sent it to third parties.
Apple denied "any and all alleged wrongdoing" in the initial settlement agreement, and it has since said that Siri data "has never been sold to anyone for any purpose."
If you have ever noticed Siri's digital ears perking up when you didn't ask for it, you might be entitled to a slice of the settlement - though not a huge one. Here's what to know about your eligibility and how to file a claim.
• Who is eligible for a settlement payout?
You have to meet two criteria to qualify for a payment in this case.
• You owned or purchased a Siri-enabled device - which includes iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, MacBooks, iMacs, HomePods, iPod Touches and Apple TVs - between Sept. 17, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2024.
• You noticed Siri activating itself and listening when you did not specifically intend to use it.
If you fit these criteria - or if you are fairly sure you do - the claims administrator may have already contacted you. Keep your eyes peeled for a postcard or an email with the subject line "Lopez Voice Assistant Class Action Settlement"; these will contain a claimant ID code and confirmation code used to identify you when you file a claim.
You can also file a claim even if the claims administrator did not contact you directly, but the process will be slightly different for you - more on that in a second.
• How much is the payout?
You can submit a claim for up to five Siri-enabled devices that you have experienced an unintended activation with. Payments are capped at $20 per Siri device, or $100 total.
• What's the deadline?
Claims must be submitted by July 2. Payments won't start going out until August at the earliest, pending a final approval hearing Aug. 1.
• How do I file a claim?
Visit LopezVoiceAssistantSettlement.com and start filling out a form.
If you received a notice from the claims administrator, enter your claimant ID code and confirmation code. This will pre-populate a few fields; all you have to do otherwise is fill out the rest, specify how many Siri-enabled devices you are submitting a claim for, and how you prefer to be paid. (You can choose a paper check, an electronic check or a direct deposit to your bank account.)
The process takes a little more work if you didn't receive a notice - you will have to provide the email address associated with the Apple account on those Siri devices, and provide their models and serial numbers. (You can skip that step for a particular device if you upload a proof of purchase, like a receipt.)
It's also worth noting that you do not need to provide specific evidence of an unintended Siri activation; one of the last steps of the process involves ticking a few boxes essentially swearing it happened:
Yes, that means this process can be pretty easily fudged in search of an easy payout - it's worth noting, though, that submitting a phony claim could technically expose someone to perjury penalties.