Apple is no Different! They also Hire Contractors to Listen to Your Siri Recordings
After German Google Assistant audios were leaked, it became clear that Google employs people to listen to your recordings. But for them, that is allowed, and it was clearly stated in their terms of use. Barely two weeks after the report, The Guardian has revealed that humans also listen to Apple’s Siri recordings.
According to the report, a former contractor who has worked with reviewing Siri’s audio recordings stated that accidental recordings sometimes revealed private information, including doctor’s appointments, addresses, and even possible drug deals. The worst part is, the source revealed that “these recordings are accompanied by user data showing location, contact details, and app data.”
In response to the report, Apple accepted that humans do listen and analyze “A small portion of Siri requests” to improve Siri and dictation. And just like Google stated the user requests are not associated with their identity (Apple ID, for the case of Apple).
Besides, the company also stated that the small portion in question is less than 1% –an excuse which I often find ridiculous since that could possibly translate to thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of customers given the enormous size of the company.
As The Guardian notes, Apple doesn’t explicitly state which data they collect (if any) in their privacy policies. The source added that they are assigned to review whether recordings were deliberate or accidental, whether Siri could help with the query and finally if the response provided was appropriate.
But should that be your concern? Definitely yes, because Siri is triggered by even false alarms that won’t necessarily mean you want to ask for some help. Take an example, raising your hand will immediately activate Siri, but that may not be your intention –seems you can’t even check what time is it in peace without Siri interrupting. So accidental recordings are common when working with these smart assistants.
In the smart world, you should beware before clicking that “I Agree” button. The fact that Apple, a company that has sold its name and products as a privacy-focused firm, is no different from Google and Amazon –you should be worried about what data you choose to share.
Personal measures to curb these issues should just be put in place. Sadly, you cannot disable Apple’s Siri, but with Google, there’s a way to opt out some of their products like Google Assistant.
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