Apple Owes Thousands of Michiganders Money: Here’s Who Applies

Have you ever been talking about something, maybe a watch or kind of candle with a friend, and then when you go on social media a few hours later, you're suddenly getting advertisements for those exact products? While there is most likely a logical explanation for this, it is a fact that your microphone is always listening in some way.

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For many iPhone users, that comes in the form of one of the phone's flagship features: Siri, the assistant that is activated when a user speaks its command phrase of "Hey Siri". However, Siri has been under increased scrutiny, and as a result, Apple is facing a lawsuit that will pay out millions of users, Michiganders included.

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Siri's Is In Legal Trouble

When Siri was introduced for the iPhone 4S back in 2011, it blew people away with its ability to respond to requests in real-time by voice alone. Nowadays, virtual assistants are everywhere, ranging from Amazon's Alexa or the now-defunct Microsoft Cortana.

But even when this feature was introduced, people expressed concerns about having a device potentially eavesdropping on you at all times of the day. While an Apple Spokesperson told Forbes that

“Siri data has never been used to build marketing profiles and it has never been sold to anyone for any purpose.”

The company has agreed to pay $95 million in cash to users who have had Siri unintentionally activated between Sept. 17, 2014, to Dec. 31, 2024. Reuters reports that this $95 million is only about nine hours of profit for Apple.

The best part about this lawsuit for people affected is that affected users are able to file a claim for up to 5 Siri-enabled devices (iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, etc.) between Sept. 17, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2024, for $20 each, up to $100 or more depending on how many users file claims. The website to file the claims has not been set up yet, but this article will be updated when it is.