Apple Agrees to Pay $95 Million to Resolve Accusations of Unauthorized Listening to Siri Data
In a move to put an end to long-standing allegations, tech giant Apple has agreed to a $95 million settlement over claims that its virtual assistant, Siri, was eavesdropping on iPhone and Apple Watch owners. The settlement, equivalent to about nine hours of profit for Apple, comes after years of controversy surrounding Siri's privacy practices.
The proposed settlement terms allow Apple to deny any wrongdoing, including the claims about recording, disclosing, or failing to delete conversations. However, the lawsuit alleges that the regularity of triggers on Siri devices is high, but Apple has no system to handle accidental recordings.
Siri's activation goes beyond relying solely on a clear, unambiguous trigger phrase, such as "Hey Siri," by continuously running a speech recognizer that listens for this verbal cue with highly optimized local processing. This design, aimed at improving speed and responsiveness while maintaining privacy, allows Siri to promptly respond when activated without sending unnecessary audio to Apple servers.
Apple has enhanced Siri with on-device AI that processes much of the speech recognition and natural language understanding locally, thereby reducing the need to upload recordings to the cloud. This local processing improves speed, accuracy, and privacy by limiting data sent to servers.
However, concerns remain because a continuously running recognizer means Siri technically has ongoing access to ambient audio to detect its wake phrase. In 2019, Apple faced criticism after revelations that some Siri recordings were stored and reviewed by contractors for quality assurance. Since then, Apple has added an opt-out option for users and has been more transparent about data use.
The settlement documents indicate that each class member could be paid up to $20 for each Siri-enabled device owned between 2014 and 2019. However, the settlement terms do not require Apple to admit any wrongdoing.
Some consumers in the lawsuit reported receiving targeted advertisements for products after discussing them with their doctor or about specific brands like Air Jordan sneakers, Pit Viper sunglasses, and Olive Garden restaurants. The class-action lawsuit alleges that Apple used Siri to record consumers' conversations, which could potentially be used for targeted advertising.
Despite this, Apple has not informed consumers they are being regularly recorded without consent. The lawsuit specifically alleges that Siri can collect consumer information in the absence of a trigger word or trigger phrase. Attorneys for the class note that Apple never made a good-faith effort to rectify widespread problems with accidental activations of Siri.
As Apple continues to develop Siri's capabilities, it is reportedly integrating third-party AI models from companies like Anthropic and OpenAI. This could shift some processing to Apple's cloud infrastructure, potentially impacting privacy dynamics depending on how cloud data is handled.
In summary, while Siri's activation involves sophisticated local AI models that seek to balance higher accuracy and utility with respect for user privacy, transparency and user choice remain essential to address ongoing privacy challenges. Apple users are advised to review their privacy settings regularly and opt out of data sharing when necessary.
Read also:
- Musk threatens Apple with litigation amidst increasing conflict surrounding Altman's OpenAI endeavor
- Innovative Garments and Accessories Producing Energy: Exploring Unconventional Sources for Renewable Power
- Digital Commerce Giant Clips Unveils Its Latest Offering, Clip Ultra, Fortifying Its Dominance in Mexico's Market
- Tesla-powered homes in Houston cause buying rush among interested buyers
