Apple, widely known for its strong stance on protecting personal data, recently issued a statement highlighting its commitment to the privacy of interactions with Siri. The announcement comes at a particularly notable time, as the company just settled a $95 million lawsuit it filed in 2019. The lawsuit accused Apple of illegally recording conversations via Siri without users’ consent.
Siri: Built with your privacy in mind
According to Apple, Siri was designed with user data protection at its core from the beginning. Additionally, the company continues to ensure that data obtained from interactions with Siri is never used for advertising or marketing purposes. Apple emphasizes an on-device data processing approach that ensures many requests, such as reading messages and suggesting widgets, are processed directly on the user’s iPhone or iPad, without data ever being sent to Apple’s servers. (in sharp contrast to generative AI technologies). .
Apple also noted that any interaction required with its servers is done anonymously using a random identifier not linked to a user’s Apple account. Additionally, voice recordings are only retained if you explicitly choose to share your data to enhance our services.
Power your approach with Apple Intelligence
As AI continues to evolve, Apple is extending its privacy principles to other services such as Apple Intelligence, which processes complex data to deliver personalized experiences. For scenarios that require more advanced models, the company employs a technology known as private cloud computing. This technology leverages cloud capabilities to provide intelligent responses while maintaining privacy.
Lessons learned from costly litigation
A lawsuit filed in 2019 alleges that Siri recorded conversations without consent, and that these recordings were sometimes shared with third parties and used to target ads. Apple denies violating privacy rules, but agreed to pay $95 million to resolve the issue once and for all. There are no details yet on how affected users will be able to claim a portion of this amount.
With this announcement, Apple aims to rebuild user trust while showcasing innovations in data protection. While this reminder about Siri’s privacy practices is reassuring, it also highlights the need for tech companies to maintain high standards in response to rising user expectations.
Siri eavesdropping issue: Apple settles for $95 million
