FLASHBACK: Chuck Schumer on Trump potentially issuing preemptive pardons:
“That would be a gross abuse of the presidential pardon authority”
Any comment on Biden’s preemptive pardons @SenSchumer?
Underreported: Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging that Siri, its virtual assistant, secretly recorded users’ private conversations without consent and shared the data with advertisers.
Some shit you should know before you read:
Back in 2019, a group of plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the company’s Siri virtual assistant was secretly activated without user consent, recording private conversations and sharing the data with third parties for targeted advertising. The lawsuit claimed these unintended activations occurred even without the trigger phrase “Hey, Siri,” capturing sensitive moments such as doctor’s appointments and personal discussions.
Lawyers argued that this behavior violated user privacy and contradicted Apple’s commitment to protecting consumer data, framing the case as a violation of wiretapping and privacy laws. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit specifically pointed to instances where they received targeted advertisements for products such as Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden meals after merely mentioning them in conversations near a Siri-enabled device. These examples were used to argue that Apple not only failed to prevent unauthorized Siri activations but also improperly utilized the captured data for advertising purposes
What's going on now: To kill the case, Apple has agreed to a $95 million settlement to resolve the lawsuit. If approved by a judge in February, the settlement will allow Apple to deny any wrongdoing.
Per the settlement agreement, attorneys representing the plaintiffs may request up to $29.6 million to cover legal fees and other expenses, leaving the remainder for distribution to eligible consumers. If you owned Siri-enabled Apple devices between September 17, 2014, and December 31, 2024, you will be eligible to receive up to $20 per device, with a cap of five devices per individual. The actual payout amount depends on the number of valid claims submitted.