SGT achieved a major victory on January 29, 2026, when the court granted class certification in this groundbreaking case alleging that Apple's Siri voice assistant illegally captures, collects and disseminates Illinois residents' biometric voiceprints without proper consent. This is the first class action to successfully challenge Apple's Siri technology under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), one of the nation's strictest privacy laws. The plaintiffs include millions of Illinois Siri users whose voices were recorded and analyzed while using Siri.
Overview
The complaint alleges that Apple captures, collects, possesses and uses voiceprints in two ways. First, it creates a voiceprint that is stored and used to unlock a user’s device when the user utters the trigger phrase “Hey Siri” (for those users who have enrolled in Personalized Hey Siri). Second, it creates voiceprints when it analyzes user requests, which requires the processing and decoding of speech in a manner that creates biometric identifiers and information in violation of BIPA. This latter violation applies to all Siri users, regardless of whether they have enrolled in Personalized Hey Siri.
The Legal Violations
The complaint alleges Apple violated multiple provisions of BIPA, Illinois' biometric privacy law (740 ILCS 14/1, et seq.), by:
- Failing to obtain informed written consent before collecting and storing users' voiceprint biometrics
- Failing to provide required disclosures about the specific purposes and length of time for which voiceprints are being collected, stored, and used
- Failing to establish and publish retention schedules and destruction guidelines for biometric data
- Using and disclosing voiceprint data without authorization, including sharing voice recordings with third-party contractors
Who Is Affected
The class includes all Illinois residents who created a Siri user profile on an iPhone or other Apple device using speaker recognition technology during the class period.
What Relief Is Being Sought
On behalf of the class, SGT seeks:
- Statutory damages of $1,000 for each negligent violation and $5,000 for each intentional or reckless violation of BIPA
- Injunctive relief requiring Apple to comply with BIPA's requirements
- Attorneys' fees and costs
- Other appropriate relief