Apple Contractors Listened to 1,000+ Siri Recordings Per Shift

[apolloa]

yea, but teaching does not imply listening to everyone's conversations. Where do you draw the line in the same "its a privacy invasion" from "we can improve it" ?

Just about anything that also violate about privacy is also backed by "improving the way it works"

..or is there even a line anymore

Because they have to listen to confirm the AI is doing what it’s being asked and it’s the only way they can check that currently, and if it isn’t then they will teach it what to do.
It’s the way it is, but you should be able to opt out of it. Personally I’d rather have the level of AI we have and have people listening to what you say, then have an AI that’s much smarter and doesn’t require the checks or has the ability to self check....

I’d rather have humans paid to do the work who I trust more then an AI!

 

[Biu_miu]

wE VaLAUe yOur pRiVaCy *insert spongebob meme*

 

[Khedron]

I personally don't see this as a big deal. But it's funny to see the huge contrast of concern when Apple is outed vs other companies like Amazon or Google.

Apple doesn't let you opt out and any time Tim appears in public he's either meeting with Trump or crying about how much he loves privacy. Understand the contrast now?

 

[Delgibbons]

Now, Apple, quit with the holier than thou BS.

It's simply not true.

 

[alexhardaker]

We’ve always known that Siri was not processed on the phone and was sent to the cloud. I thought it was obvious that random samples were used to help improve the AI.

I agree that we have always known, but see my post above that links the Siri keynote announcement. They hardly talk about what happens to the data. I’ve even tried looking online for articles about Apple clarifying it in 2011, but I can’t find it. I’m beginning to question when I found this out. The video is surprising with how little they talk about it. Did they have to come out and explain it? I’m not sure I remember that happening.

 

[iPhysicist]

Iam happy this particular Employee was fired. Iam unhappy for those who did a good job and kept silence as they where told to do. They had a job with critical data and like a priest, psychiatrist or other physician should be silent about what they hear. He maybe did not oath to it but he signed a contract. Yet the employee was "smart" enough to not read the apple end user agreement where cleary is stated that some Siri requests are rehearsed by humans and should therefore get a job with less critical data. You can be stupid but you don't have to let everyone know that. He instead took the 5min of fame for his job and took all others with him. Nice job dude. Id like you as my coworker - not.

This guy is not a whitlseblower by any means. But he blew it, that everybody knows now.

 

[Stiss]

Siri is trash. The only thing I use it for is setting timers on my watch.
Siri's functionality is whats stopping me buying a HomePod

 

[FlyingDutch]

so people complained about Siri not being "human" enough... and now people complains about Siri being too "human".
To sum it up, people complains about Apple. ‍♂️

 

[Chrjy]

Name one other company that posts their actual terms of use on a billboard. How clear are other manufacturers about their voice assistant analytic processes?

My point is all of this information is readily available from the manufacturer before you buy a phone IF you actually give a crap about these privacy issues. If you’re worried about your privacy for whatever reason it is your responsibility to inform yourself as a consumer. Welcome to capitalism.

So did you make an uninformed purchase and now you’re having buyer’s remorse? Doesn’t sound like the manufacturers fault.

I notice that in all your posts you seem to be very condescending. Do you find this works well for you in life?

Again, you've missed the point. No, other manufactures do not put up billboards with their T&Cs but at the same time they do not promote privacy in the way Apple do!

I'm very aware that my privacy was lost decades ago and personally I'm not bothered by it but as I have mentioned on my previous posts, it's the principle.

 

[StyxMaker]

Putting aside the fact anonymity and privacy are seperate things, what if the voice recording was of a famous person with a very recognizable voice? Not anonymous in that situation.

How would you know it’s not a voice mimic practicing?

 

[nexusrule]

If it was "worse than it actually was," Apple would have provided a statement. Apple has been silent for a month.

That is not true, Apple has provided a statement and even stopped the program. Check your facts before spreading them online, what you think it’s rarely what you know.

 

[macfacts]

Everyone acting like they’re upset but they’re the ones that didn’t read the T&C’s

I'm upset people still say apple cares about privacy. Fake news.

 

[Khedron]

How would you know it’s not a voice mimic practicing?

RDF at 104%

 

[katewes]

And before anyone says it's in the small print somewhere, it's the principle that matters.

For tech giants like Google, Apple, Facebook and Twitter, aside from their guiding principle of saying anything that will convince you to keep their $revenue coming, either from you or advertisers, what other principle would they hold to?

You see how Google, Twitter and Facebook execs blatantly lie to congress. Surely the $ is the principle that matters to them.

 

[adrianlondon]

But.... but.... that billboard that read what’s on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone I took that to heart! Blast I feel so used!!!! #hehe

It's true. What's on my phone *did* stay on my phone. However, a copy of it was sent to some underpaid, bored contractor who wanted to be in the news for a day or two before unwittingly costing all his friends their jobs.

 

[TsMkLg068426]

The things I have asked Siri.....Oh boy.

 

[princ2]

If Siri recording samples are (supposedly) end-to-end encrypted, how did Apple & Globetech gather them?

 

[Khedron]

If Siri recording samples are (supposedly) end-to-end encrypted, how did Apple & Globetech gather them?

Apple gives itself permission to decrypt your data, which is how they also hand it over to the police and other government agencies

 

[adrianlondon]

"In iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra or later, end-to-end encryption in iCloud syncs certain types of personal data, such as your Siri information, across all your devices in such a way that Apple cannot read or access it."
https://www.apple.com/privacy/approach-to-privacy/

I suppose "Siri information" is stuff like your name, associated Contacts entry etc rather than the actual stuff you say to her. There's quite a lot of interesting info under the "Siri and Dictation" heading in the above URL.

 

[Khedron]

"In iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra or later, end-to-end encryption in iCloud syncs certain types of personal data, such as your Siri information, across all your devices in such a way that Apple cannot read or access it."
https://www.apple.com/privacy/approach-to-privacy/

I suppose "Siri information" is stuff like your name, associated Contacts entry etc rather than the actual stuff you say to her. There's quite a lot of interesting info under the "Siri and Dictation" heading in the above URL.

Apple is expanding "Siri information" to mean all data about how you use your device, e.g. Siri gets GPS data so it can suggest locations in maps, and how you use apps so it can suggest "Siri shortcuts"

Apple's approach to privacy is to lock out 3rd party tracking so it can corner the market

 

[zengod]

Apple has suspended the grading program that used contractors to listen to Siri recordings for quality control purposes, but in a new report, The Irish Examiner (via The Verge) gives some additional insight into how it worked.

According to one of the contractors who worked on Siri grading in Cork, Ireland, employees were expected to listen to more than 1,000 Siri recordings per shift. Most recordings were a few seconds in length, and "occasionally" employees would hear personal data or snippets of conversation. Contractors primarily heard Siri commands, though.

Each recording was "graded" based on different factors, such as whether or not a Siri activation was accidental or if the query was something the personal assistant could or couldn't help with.

The employee said that Siri user details were kept anonymous, and that he or she mostly heard recordings with Canadian, Australian, and UK accents.Data analysts who worked with Globetech, a Cork-based firm, were told this week that their work with Apple has been terminated. Apple and Globetech have not commented on how many employees were let go, but The Irish Examiner says that more than 300 contractors working on transcription and grading for Apple may have lost their jobs.

Apple last week told Globetech that it would be ending all transcription and voice grading work, and Globetech has confirmed that it will no longer be providing these services to Apple.

Prior to Apple's decision to end all grading and transcription work with Globetech, Apple prohibited employees from bringing their cell phones to work after the original story from The Guardian hit. In that report, an anonymous contractor said that employees working on Siri often heard private data including confidential medical information, drug deals, recordings of couples having sex, and more.

Following that story, where the employee also called out Apple for not properly disclosing human-based Siri grading to its customers, Apple announced that it would temporarily suspend the program worldwide.

Apple said it would review the process that's currently used, and also add a feature to let people to opt out of allowing their Siri recordings be used for quality control purposes. In a statement to The Irish Examiner, Apple said that it is still evaluating its grading processes and is "working closely" with partners to reach the "best possible outcome" for all involved.It's not if and clear when Siri grading will resume, but it's likely going to remain suspended until Apple is able to release a software update that adds a toggle allowing customers to opt out.

Apple is facing a class action lawsuit over the issue, which claims Apple did not inform consumers that they are regularly being recorded without consent."

Article Link: Apple Contractors Listened to 1,000+ Siri Recordings Per Shift

Apple has suspended the grading program that used contractors to listen to Siri recordings for quality control purposes, but in a new report, The Irish Examiner (via The Verge) gives some additional insight into how it worked.

According to one of the contractors who worked on Siri grading in Cork, Ireland, employees were expected to listen to more than 1,000 Siri recordings per shift. Most recordings were a few seconds in length, and "occasionally" employees would hear personal data or snippets of conversation. Contractors primarily heard Siri commands, though.

Each recording was "graded" based on different factors, such as whether or not a Siri activation was accidental or if the query was something the personal assistant could or couldn't help with.

The employee said that Siri user details were kept anonymous, and that he or she mostly heard recordings with Canadian, Australian, and UK accents.Data analysts who worked with Globetech, a Cork-based firm, were told this week that their work with Apple has been terminated. Apple and Globetech have not commented on how many employees were let go, but The Irish Examiner says that more than 300 contractors working on transcription and grading for Apple may have lost their jobs.

Apple last week told Globetech that it would be ending all transcription and voice grading work, and Globetech has confirmed that it will no longer be providing these services to Apple.

Prior to Apple's decision to end all grading and transcription work with Globetech, Apple prohibited employees from bringing their cell phones to work after the original story from The Guardian hit. In that report, an anonymous contractor said that employees working on Siri often heard private data including confidential medical information, drug deals, recordings of couples having sex, and more.

Following that story, where the employee also called out Apple for not properly disclosing human-based Siri grading to its customers, Apple announced that it would temporarily suspend the program worldwide.

Apple said it would review the process that's currently used, and also add a feature to let people to opt out of allowing their Siri recordings be used for quality control purposes. In a statement to The Irish Examiner, Apple said that it is still evaluating its grading processes and is "working closely" with partners to reach the "best possible outcome" for all involved.It's not if and clear when Siri grading will resume, but it's likely going to remain suspended until Apple is able to release a software update that adds a toggle allowing customers to opt out.

Apple is facing a class action lawsuit over the issue, which claims Apple did not inform consumers that they are regularly being recorded without consent."

Article Link: Apple Contractors Listened to 1,000+ Siri Recordings Per Shift

g
[doublepost=1566640352][/doublepost]Guess they have heard all my yelling and screaming at Siri for not understanding basic commands then. Apple need to pull the plug on Siri and adopt Googles voice control system which is lightyears ahead.

 

[Ma2k5]

I'm not really sure what anybody was expecting. Just Google and Amazon maybe? That's some tasty Kool Aid. The AI can't write itself yet.

Personally I don’t care about the issue. But as a company which prides itself on privacy, you’d think they would both notify users and let them opt out of it. It makes it harder for them to sell the fact that Apple is different to Google etc when it comes to privacy.

 

[adrianlondon]

Apple is expanding "Siri information" to mean all data about how you use your device, e.g. Siri gets GPS data so it can suggest locations in maps, and how you use apps so it can suggest "Siri shortcuts"

Apple's approach to privacy is to lock out 3rd party tracking so it can corner the market

That's fine. I don't want third party apps to have access to my GPS location or app usage, unless I specifically grant location/GPS access whilst using one of their apps.

 

[Rob_2811]

Everyone acting like they’re upset but they’re the ones that didn’t read the T&C’s

Or like it mattered to them in the first place. Like any one of them made an effort to inform themselves about the issue before buying the phone in the first place.

Yeah that gives Apple a pass for the deliberately misleading marketing and constant crowing about how privacy is a basic human right.

 

[Codpeace]

I notice that in all your posts you seem to be very condescending. Do you find this works well for you in life?

Again, you've missed the point. No, other manufactures do not put up billboards with their T&Cs but at the same time they do not promote privacy in the way Apple do!

I'm very aware that my privacy was lost decades ago and personally I'm not bothered by it but as I have mentioned on my previous posts, it's the principle.

You seem easily butthurt. Do you find this works well for you in life?

It is simply not believable that anyone smarter than a clam could think that any party could develop a dictation-based AI without using humans to train the system. Sorry, but that degree of disingenuousness is in no way admirable.