01/03/25 - The News

Friday, January 3, 2025

Apple to pay $95m to settle Siri 'listening' lawsuit

January 03, 2025 0

 Apple has agreed to pay $95m (£77m) to settle a court case alleging some of its devices were listening to people without their permission.





The tech giant was accused of eavesdropping on its customers through its virtual assistant Siri.

The claimants also allege voice recordings were shared with advertisers.

Apple, which has not admitted any wrongdoing, has been approached for comment.

In the preliminary settlement, the tech firm denies any wrongdoing, as well as claims that it "recorded, disclosed to third parties, or failed to delete, conversations recorded as the result of a Siri activation" without consent.

Apple's lawyers also say they will confirm they have "permanently deleted individual Siri audio recordings collected by Apple prior to October 2019".

But the claimants say the tech firm recorded people who activated the virtual assistant unintentionally - without using the phrase "Hey, Siri" to wake it.

They say advertisers who received the recordings could then look for keywords in them to better target ads.

The lead plaintiff Fumiko Lopez claims she and her daughter were both recorded without their consent.

They allege they were served targeted ads after talking about products including Air Jordans.

Class action

Apple has proposed a decision date of 14 February in the court in Northern California.

Class action lawsuits work by a small number of people going to court on behalf of a larger group.

If they are successful, the money won is paid out across all claimants.

According to the court documents, each claimant - who has to be based in the US -could be paid up to $20 per Siri-enabled device they owned between 2014 and 2019.

In this case, the lawyers could take 30% of the fee plus expenses - which comes to just under $30m.

By settling, Apple not only denies wrongdoing, but it also avoids the risk of facing a court case which could potentially mean a much larger pay out.

The California company made $94.9bn in revenue in the three months up to 28 September 2024.

Apple has been involved in a number of class action lawsuits in recent years.

In January 2024, it started paying out in a $500m lawsuit which claimed it deliberately slowed down iPhones in the US.

In March, it agreed to pay $490m in a class action led by Norfolk County Council in the UK.

And in November, consumer group Which? started a class action against Apple, accusing it of ripping off customers through its iCloud service.

The same law firm is suing Google in a similar class action, accusing it of listening to customers using Google devices.

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Wayne Osmond Dead At 73, Cause Of Death Revealed

January 03, 2025 0

 The Osmonds’ rise to fame began when they were discovered by Andy Williams’ father while performing at Disneyland. During the 1960s, they became regular performers on "The Andy Williams Show" and later toured extensively throughout Europe. Over time, the group eventually went their separate ways as they pursued solo music careers.

Best known as the brother of Marie and Donny Osmond, stars of the 1970s variety show "Donny & Marie," Wayne Osmond's passing on New Year's Day was confirmed by his family in an emotional statement.

Wayne Osmond Passes Away According To Family's Statement

The Osmonds started as a barbershop quartet before rising to fame as “teen music idols.” They later went on to produce the popular TV series "The Osmond Family Show," which was filmed in Orem.

Wayne Osmond, beloved husband and father, passed away peacefully last night surrounded by his loving wife and five children," the family's statement obtained by local ABC affiliate KTVX read.

“His legacy of faith, music, love, and laughter have influenced the lives of many people around the world. He would want everyone to know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, that families are forever, and that banana splits are the best dessert. We love him and will miss him dearly,” the family added.

The Osmond Family Shares Heartfelt Tributes

Several of Wayne’s siblings have shared heartfelt tributes on social media to honor their brother. Jay Osmond expressed that throughout his life, he “always felt the most connected to Wayne out of all of my siblings.”

“My heart is deeply saddened for the loss of my brother Wayne. It is said that where there is great love there is great grief as we part during our earthly journey,” Jay said. “What gives me joy is to know that my brother ‘Wings’ has earned his wings and I can only imagine the heights he is soaring right now.”

Merrill Osmond Speaks Out

Merrill Osmond shared more details, revealing that his brother suffered a “massive stroke.” He recounted rushing to the hospital upon hearing the news and expressed gratitude that he was able to be there to say his final goodbyes.

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