Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit that accused the company of turning its virtual assistant Siri into a snoop that eavesdropped on the users of iPhones and other trendy devices in a betrayal to its long-standing commitment to personal privacy.

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple has agreed to end a five-year legal battle over user privacy related to its virtual assistant Siri with a $95 million payout to affected customers, according to a preliminary settlement.

Apple has agreed to pay $95m (£76m) to settle a lawsuit that claimed its Siri voice assistant eavesdropped on people using iPhones.