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

[Rob_2811]

I apologize that you lack basic reading comprehension skills. I added another screen shot to clearly show that this is part of the privacy statement for Siri that is readily available for ANY USER to read. That they refuse and/or fail to do so is squarely on them - Apple disclosed their policy fairly clearly.

tl;dr - RTFM!

Ok cool so I correct my earlier post there is advice in the settings menu the fact is it's entirely possible to have set up an iPhone, including hey Siri, and have not seen that advice unless of course you have read through the pages and pages of the licence agreement (which hardly anybody does and Apple know this).

Even if you do read through the entire privacy statement the language used is vague and doesn't fully disclose how Apple use the data.

"You didn't read the EULA therefore its your fault" is not the kind of thing you expect from a company that constantly positions itself as a champion for your right to privacy anyway.

It speaks volumes how quickly Apple have backed off this once the full details were made public. They know this isn't a good look.
[doublepost=1566826051][/doublepost]

How do you know “most” people would have no idea this is happening? Isn’t they presumptuous.


Is there anything you wouldn’t criticize them on?

If Apple hadn't made such a point of crowing about they believe 'Privacy is a human right' I wouldn't think anything of this at all.

Google, Amazon and all of the rest do exactly the same.

 

[Kabeyun]

All my Apple gadgets and services ultimately leads to me and my family. It’s even easier for Apple. They know who we are. Everything is linked to our iCloud id’s.

You still don’t get it. Maybe I wasn’t clear. Let me try again: Apple doesn’t monetize what data they have on you. That’s not how they generate profit. They make products instead. See?

The fact that Google makes money with advertisements is their way of paying the bills. I don’t have a problem with that, or I should stop using Google. As a matter of fact, the money paid out by Google, helped developers a decade ago, who now work for Apple, to work on things like Safari. And I know, because I was one of them.

What in the ever loving blue blazes is your point?? Whatever Google does is fine because it helps their bottom line?! Because they paid devs with the profits? Let them track you, learn you, monetize you because that’s their business model??

 

[pallymore]

Interesting, when Google/Amazon/MS does some bad things, people are like: "I knew they are evil. I will NEVER use their stuff." but when Apple does the same thing, they jump out to defend Apple with "this is not a big deal" or "But it's in the EULA"

NOBODY READS EULAs.
They are usually forced upon the users anyways. When you buy a new iPhone, do you read through the 451 pages long iOS EULA? https://www.apple.com/legal/sla/docs/iOS12.pdf
What if there is a term you do not agree with? Return the phone? You have to click agree anyways so why bother.

It's not called "transparent" when Apple tells everyone they don't share your stuff while hiding the facts in a 451 page document that everyone has to agree to.

 

[I7guy]

Ok cool so I correct my earlier post there is advice in the settings menu the fact is it's entirely possible to have set up an iPhone, including hey Siri, and have not seen that advice unless of course you have read through the pages and pages of the licence agreement (which hardly anybody does and Apple know this).

Even if you do read through the entire privacy statement the language used is vague and doesn't fully disclose how Apple use the data.

"You didn't read the EULA therefore its your fault" is not the kind of thing you expect from a company that constantly positions itself as a champion for your right to privacy anyway.

It speaks volumes how quickly Apple have backed off this once the full details were made public. They know this isn't a good look.

It’s not hidden, it’s right there when you enable Siri. And it’s not very long either. Apple still has to provide certain information and no company has a privacy policy that is two or three words.

If Apple hadn't made such a point of crowing about they believe 'Privacy is a human right' I wouldn't think anything of this at all.

Google, Amazon and all of the rest do exactly the same.

Yes, as long as the companies treat your voice data accordingly, I have no issues.

“Privacy is a human right” has little to do with product improvement and Apple is leading the way here.

 

[Rob_2811]

It’s not hidden, it’s right there when you enable Siri. And it’s not very long either. Apple still has to provide certain information and no company has a privacy policy that is two or three words.


Yes, as long as the companies treat your voice data accordingly, I have no issues.

“Privacy is a human right” has little to do with product improvement and Apple is leading the way here.

It makes no mention at all of when they actually do with the data, just makes some vague reference to using it to improve Siri.

And no most people who buy an iPhone don't know how this software is developed.

 

[gatorguy2]

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.





Siri T&C are archived back through iOS 7 (and probably earlier), I’d encourage you to also go check those out too before you try to claim Apple hasn’t been clear about this in the past
[doublepost=1566604162][/doublepost]

Did you forget the part where they suspended the entire program because of the media uproar? Why would it still be in the SLA or on the privacy page anymore if it’s not being used?

They suspended the program because the German Data Privacy Commissioner strongly advised them to. Personally I suspect they would have tried to weather the storm and continue on except for that.

 

[I7guy]

It makes no mention at all of when they actually do with the data, just makes some vague reference to using it to improve Siri.

And no most people who buy an iPhone don't know how this software is developed.

The link is right there. I don't know what most people do or do not do. But Apple wasnt hiding anything. I understand you (and maybe others) didn’t think the link was clear enough.

 

[gatorguy2]

Contractors have not been listening to recordings since early August just after this story broke for the second time (first was in 2015 per the article I shared earlier).

https://www.macrumors.com/2019/07/26/siri-human-analysis-voice-recordings/

https://www.macrumors.com/2019/08/02/apple-suspending-siri-grading-program/

Again; There is no mention of the practice in the current SLA or Privacy pages because the practice is no longer in use.

So what were these now-laid-off contractors listening to at Apple's behest?

 

[AppleHaterLover]

Interesting, when Google/Amazon/MS does some bad things, people are like: "I knew they are evil. I will NEVER use their stuff." but when Apple does the same thing, they jump out to defend Apple with "this is not a big deal" or "But it's in the EULA"

.

This is MacRumors. If we weren’t at least a little bit biased towards Apple, we wouldn’t be here.

 

[gnasher729]

I turned ‘hey Siri’ off, every time someone on television used any form of the word ‘serious’ Siri would pop up and ask me what I waned.

That's interesting. I wonder why that never happens on my phone, and why it never happens on my wife's phone. (What _has_ happened is that both her iPhone and her iPad reacted to "Hey Siri" at the same time, but that's obviously different).

 

[jamezr]

It is fun to watch so many here apologize for anything Apple does....there is so much blind brand loyalty.

 

[Kabeyun]

It is fun to watch so many here apologize for anything Apple does....there is so much blind brand loyalty.

It’s not that Apple is perfect. It’s that they’re better. If you don’t get that, you don’t have a full understanding of the history and development all of these companies we’re discussing.

Nor, in spite of all the Android fans and Tim Cook badgers who bizarrely seem to have nothing better to do than hang out in pro-Apple forums, do you understand why this website exists.

 

[xgman]

This is really bad no matter how you spin it. A continuing degradation of our privacy and lives. How can anyone think this is ok?

 

[jamezr]

It’s not that Apple is perfect. It’s that they’re better. If you don’t get that, you don’t have a full understanding of the history and development all of these companies we’re discussing.

Nor, in spite of all the Android fans and Tim Cook badgers who bizarrely seem to have nothing better to do than hang out in pro-Apple forums, do you understand why this website exists.

Well they are better in your opinion.....others might not share that position.
Then it is always fun to watch people lambaste other companies when the they have a faux pas....
Then watch the same people make excuses for Apple when they have the same thing happen....

Then there are some that have Apple gear such as iphones, MBP, iMac and iPads AND Android devices. Those people don't have the blind brand loyalty that some have in this thread......

I think for the bolded above....maybe YOU don't understand why this website exists......
You know....people can say something negative about Apple as a whole and STILL be an Apple fan

 

[1098474]

What's disappointing is Apple, Google, and Amazon have people listening to recordings.

Yet Google and Amazon are so far ahead in terms of the voice assistant game. What is Apple doing?

When you find out please let me know mate

 

[gatorguy2]

Especially since they are not given any information about from where the recording came, or by whom it was recorded.
[doublepost=1566616200][/doublepost]

Reportedly they were given some user data, even if no Apple ID#'s were referenced. Location, app used and a couple of other user data points were said to be attached to the recordings.

 

[MauiPa]

All this hoohah about Apple, when we know for a fact that Google and Amazon do this as well, shouldn't we be talking about the issue in general instead of pretending that apple somehow did something bad. (It was disclosed in its data use policies, albeit rather obtusely), and unlike Google and amazon, they don't seek to monetize it.

It is also disconcerting that, after some people have been sounding the alarm for years that voice assistants by virtue of their very existence, listen to you, that now OMG the outrage. I guess most of us have been sleeping and not thinking - well that's normal at least.

So let's all acknowledge a fact, there simply is no way to tune a computerized assistant to better transcribe voice, filter out background noise, and be ready to execute commands that are expected, without calibrating those commands, and until their are full automatons, humans will do it.
[doublepost=1566834509][/doublepost]

When you find out please let me know mate

You are aware enough to know of the latest studies? Google was slightly first, mostly because it is tuned to making purchases - things some of us do not want, followed by Apple, and trailed by amazon. sorry, facts don't fit the snark SAD

 

[Kabeyun]

Well they are better in your opinion.....others might not share that position.

When it comes to privacy and security, it’s Apple over Google. That’s not opinion. You can not like some Apple stuff, and that’s opinion territory.

I think for the bolded above....maybe YOU don't understand why this website exists......
You know....people can say something negative about Apple as a whole and STILL be an Apple fan

I wasn’t referring to those people. In fact, I’m one of those people. I was referring to people with chips on their shoulder who come here just to bash everything Apple.

 

[jamezr]

When it comes to privacy and security, it’s Apple over Google. That’s not opinion. You can not like some Apple stuff, and that’s opinion territory.


I’m not speaking of those people. In fact, I’m one of those people. I was referring to people with chips on their shoulder who come here just to bash everything Apple.

Apple is better at privacy.....so they say....then we find out our Siri conversations are being recorded and looked over by non Apple employees. Who knows what happened to them afterwards.
What happened to the ad below? That...we are learning is not true. what else are they not telling us?
I'm not one of those people....that just bash Apple...but I do hold them to the same standard i would any other company.
Some here don't do that...they constantly make excuses for Apple's mistakes.

 

[jackietreeh0rn]

Waiting for the Rene Ritchies of the world to spin this news in some way. Or has he already done it?

 

[I7guy]

Apple is better at privacy.....so they say....then we find out our Siri conversations are being recorded and looked over by non Apple employees. Who knows what happened to them afterwards.

There is a link directly below Siri that reads “learn about Siri and privacy”. As far as the contractors, the law will take care of inappropriate misuse of information signed via an NDA.

What happened to the ad below? That...we are learning is not true. what else are they not telling us?

Where did it say that Apple wouldn’t use Siri recordings for product improvement? Do you take the ad as a statement of fact or slogan?

I'm not one of those people....that just bash Apple...but I do hold them to the same standard i would any other company.
Some here don't do that...they constantly make excuses for Apple's mistakes.

Or everybody has their own opinion, of the matter.

 

[Ruggy]

You still don’t get it. Maybe I wasn’t clear. Let me try again: Apple doesn’t monetize what data they have on you. That’s not how they generate profit. They make products instead. See?


What in the ever loving blue blazes is your point?? Whatever Google does is fine because it helps their bottom line?! Because they paid devs with the profits? Let them track you, learn you, monetize you because that’s their business model??

You make a very important point and it is a really big difference. Google only make money on your data nothing else.
They justify what they charge clients by what you see and what you do with what you see.
Siri is a service and although it's changed a bit over the years, since day one they've made it very clear that if you used the enhanced function (not sure it's there any more) then your data would go to a remote server and would be recorded. I find it hard to believe anyone hasn't seen that.

I do feel uncomfortable about it but I assume everything I do on the net is public anyway.

It's a bit like talking in a bar or on a plane where the people around you can hear what you say.

Does anyone believe it's all totally private?
I've talked to my kids about it and they don't and I've talked to my technophobic old mother-in-law and she doesn't so who are these innocent people?

If you think your email isn't being sieved through for target words too you are very naive (even if it's only anti spam, it is)

But like the poster here says, Apple actually aren't really interested and they have genuinely done more for security and privacy than anyone else.
If not, then who else has?

 

[jamezr]

There is a link directly below Siri that reads “learn about Siri and privacy”. As far as the contractors, the law will take care of inappropriate misuse of information signed via an NDA.

Where did it say that Apple wouldn’t use Siri recordings for product improvement? Do you take the ad as a statement of fact or slogan?

Or everybody has their own opinion, of the matter.

lol......really? Apologist much?

Do you really think any reasonable person has read that? So that excuses them of anything if they hide it in the small print?

There is a link directly below Siri that reads “learn about Siri and privacy”.

So you are saying ...we should not believe anything Apple advertises? Should we believe anything they say then?

Do you take the ad as a statement of fact or slogan?

This is great....AFTER our data has leaked.

As far as the contractors, the law will take care of inappropriate misuse of information signed via an NDA.

 

[Rob_2811]

Waiting for the Rene Ritchies of the world to spin this news in some way. Or has he already done it?

He's already had a piece up about it. Isn't over critical as you can probably imagine. Does say that the hopes that Apple stops contracting out this kind of this

https://www.imore.com/apple-suspends-siri-voice-grading-future-update-will-allow-users-choose

Gruber was very critical..

I pooh-poohed this story at first, mostly on the grounds that I thought we knew about this, and that the recordings were only saved from users who had consented to it. I was mistaken. This is a privacy fiasco, and a betrayal of Siri users’ trust.

https://daringfireball.net/2019/08/siri_privacy_trust

 

[ApplesandOranges]

Everybody brags about how secure Apple’s devices are until they’re not. Then the excuses start.

So we all read the user agreement and are aware Apple invades our privacy, but that’s ok because Apple devices are more secure than everyone else?

My guard dog attacks me everyday but that’s ok because my house is secure...