Advertisement

Updated August 29th, 2019 at 13:48 IST

Apple Apologizes For Not Living Up To Its High "User-Privacy" Ideals

Apple is apologizing for allowing outsiders to listen to snippets of people’s recorded conversations with its digital assistant Siri. This is a good move.

Apple
| Image:self
Advertisement

Apple is apologizing for allowing outsiders to listen to snippets of people’s recorded conversations with its digital assistant Siri, a practice that undermined its attempts to position itself as a trusted steward of privacy. As part of the apology posted Wednesday, Apple reiterated an earlier pledge to stop keeping audio recorded through Siri unless consumers give their permission. When permission is granted, Apple said only its own employees will be allowed to review audio to help improve the service. Previously, the company hired contractors to listen to some recordings. 

“We realize we haven’t been fully living up to our high ideals, and for that we apologize,” Apple said. Apple would not say how it will seek permission. In the past, the Cupertino, California, company has typically requested permissions through prompts during software update installations. In recent months, Facebook, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Apple have all acknowledged that people have been reviewing users’ interactions with artificial intelligence assistants in order to improve the services. But users aren’t typically aware that humans and not just computers are reviewing audio. 

Privacy is paramount for Apple

The use of humans to listen to audio recordings is particularly troubling to privacy experts because it increases the chances that a rogue employee or contractor could leak details of what is being said, including parts of sensitive conversations. The backlash to the industry practice prompted Facebook and Google to stop relying on people to transcribe recorded conversations. Amazon is continuing the practice unless users of its digital assistant Alexa explicitly demand that humans be blocked from listening. Microsoft also is still doing it, too, contending it has adequate privacy safeguards in place for the Cortana digital assistant. 

Apple reiterates its earlier commitment - on protecting privacy

Apple intends to continue to rely upon computer-generated transcripts of what’s being said to Siri as part of effort to improve services, even if a user hasn’t explicitly granted permission, or opted in. Unlike Facebook, Google and Amazon, which track what people are doing and where they are going to sell ads and merchandise, Apple has conspicuously emphasized that that it has no interest in peering into its customers’ lives. CEO Tim Cook repeatedly has declared the company’s belief that “privacy is a fundamental human right,” a phrase that cropped up again in Apple’s apology. 

Advertisement

Published August 29th, 2019 at 13:39 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending Quicks

"We never celebrated Holi after the incident (the murder), I felt that today is Holi for us,” Alka Rai, wife of formerBJP MLA Krishnanand Rai said.
a few seconds ago
PM Modi & BillGates
6 minutes ago
Bengaluru Blast: Rameshwaram Cafe Customer Demands Refund for Meal Not Served
7 minutes ago
LSG Captain KL Rahul After Loss in IPL 2024 1st Match
16 minutes ago
Gautam Gambhir gets into a fight with Virat Kohli
23 minutes ago
Noida Police Slaps Rs 80,500 Fine On 2 Girls For Creating 'Vulgar Holi Reels' On Moving Scooter And Delhi Metro
23 minutes ago
China stocks rise
27 minutes ago
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo