Apple denies using Siri to 'eavesdrop' on users

According to TechSpot , Apple has just denied allegations of using audio recordings from its virtual assistant Siri to serve targeted advertising, amid a public storm that broke out after the company agreed to pay $95 million to settle a five-year lawsuit.

Apple denies allegations of eavesdropping on users through Siri assistant

PHOTO: TECHSPOT SCREENSHOT

Apple denies allegations of eavesdropping on users using Siri

The class action lawsuit alleges that Apple listens to private conversations of iPhone and other device users via Siri, even when not activated by the 'Hey Siri' command, and then shares the data with advertisers. Plaintiffs allege that they frequently see ads for products and brands that they recently mentioned in conversations.

However, in a recent post, Apple asserted that it "has never used Siri data to build marketing profiles, never provided this data for advertising, and never sold it to anyone for any purpose." The company said Siri processes as much data as possible on the device, only sends the minimum amount of data to servers when necessary, and does not associate searches and requests with a user's Apple account.

Apple also emphasizes that they do not keep recordings of interactions with Siri unless users actively allow it to improve Siri.

Still, Apple’s decision to settle for a large sum of money has many believing it is tacitly admitting wrongdoing, and the case has once again raised concerns about privacy in the age of technology, as smart devices increasingly collect personal data.

Previously, in 2019, Apple was involved in a similar scandal when it was accused of letting third-party employees eavesdrop on Siri recordings, including sensitive information. The company had to publicly apologize and adjust its policy, allowing users to choose whether or not to share recordings.

Apple's case also recalls similar allegations against Facebook, when the social network was suspected of using phone microphones to eavesdrop on users to serve ads. Facebook has also repeatedly denied these allegations.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/apple-phu-nhan-dung-siri-nghe-len-nguoi-dung-18525011008482006.htm