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Apple Scrapped Plans to Let Users Use Siri to Make Purchases Due to Privacy Concerns

Unregistered 4U said:
The authentication issue IS the privacy issue. Siri requests are separated from an individual user such that even Apple can’t create a “profile” based on Siri requests. Having requests that ARE tied to specific users breaks that privacy model.

DOES Siri need to be THAT private? Apple thinks so. But this is just another example of a thing that will likely never work via Siri due to that data constraint.
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I agree, I was just saying that the reason Apple didn't add this feature was because of the authentication problems due to privacy policy, not that ordering something via voice is breaking the privacy policy. They could use the same system they use for unlocking doors, when I ask Siri to unlock a door, it tells me to finish the request on my phone, which just requires to authenticate on my phone (when it works).
 
Caliber26 said:
I can't even trust Siri to play the right song or call the right contact. Ain't no way I'd trust her to order something for me. Smart assistant? More like DUMB assistant. If it weren't because she's baked into iOS, Siri would be the least used assistant in the market.
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Siri can barely figure out that my wife is speaking to her half the time. There are only 3 profiles in my Home app account. Me, my wife, and a 9 year old boy (mom and 9 year old sound nothing alike). At least twice a week, she asks my wife "Who's speaking" when she tries to set a timer, play a song, add something to the shopping list, etc. It really pisses her off. Figure out the basics and execute them well before you start adding more features!!! We had a household full of Amazon Echos for about 4 years before switching to two OG HomePods and 4 HomePod minis. It has been an extremely frustrating transition!!!
 
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BuddyRich said:
XKCD usually has a cartoon for everything and this situation is no exception:

https://xkcd.com/1807/

Though I think Amazon has got a bit better at specific voice detection and security around purchases since 2017 when this came out.
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I don't use Alexa however my daughter does and has had no issues (with kids).
Gotta give them hats off for that. It apparently work well.
 
I love that Apple is all about privacy.

2010 -> Unsuccessfully tried to launch their own social media platform (which by default makes profit by invading users privacy)

2019 -> Admitted they were eavesdropping on our Siri conversations

2021 -> Revealed plan to scan all of our photos allegedly to find child pornography because "they own our iCloud content" (paraphrasing but Craig Federighi said this in an interview)
 
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No5tromo said:
I love that Apple is all about privacy.

2010 -> Unsuccessfully tried to launch their own social media platform (which by default makes profit by invading users privacy)

2019 -> Admitted they were eavesdropping on our Siri conversations

2021 -> Revealed plan to scan all of our photos allegedly to find child pornography because "they own our iCloud content" (paraphrasing but Craig Federighi said this in an interview)
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They only have to fool and hypnotize so many millions of people and they have a money making machine. It has worked so far...
 
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Westside guy said:
Siri sets timers well. Siri sets reminders... reasonably well. And that's about all I feel I can rely on Siri to do.

There's no way I would trust Siri to do anything involving money.
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I agree and feel the same about Alexa and google. (I don't have enough trust about what is going on behind the scenes to use them for non-monetary uses).
 
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Glad they never pursued this. It can’t even work giving the correct weather for given city at this time using latest beta OS, why would anyone be inclined to use it for purchases?
 
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Fine. If privacy is paramount to Apple (good) than at least compensate for the lack of broad functionality with expanding what functionality you do offer. There's no reason why I am only able to stream SiriusXM to a HomePod from my iPhone vs natively calling to the HomePod from across the room -- that defeats the whole purpose of having the Smart Speaker. And yes I know they would love for me to not use SXM and embrace Apple Music and stay within their ecosystem, but c'est life.
 
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good i would never use a voice assistant to make a purchase.

Fix siri in every other possible way tho
 
Just what I need for my HomePod mini.

My 8 year old daughter: "Hey Siri buy 'I am Rich'"

Siri: Purchasing "I am Rich." It will be available on your iPhone in a moment.

Me: "I am now poor."

--

For those who don't remember it was this $1000 app in the early days of the App Store in 2008 which was nothing but a shiny icon.

rich_2.jpg
 
gaximus said:
They could use the same system they use for unlocking doors, when I ask Siri to unlock a door, it tells me to finish the request on my phone, which just requires to authenticate on my phone (when it works).
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They couldn’t, though. When someone’s unlocking their door, everything’s handled on device. Their FaceID authentication, their voice activating Siri which accesses their on device HomeKit configuration to open their door. For a purchase, Apple would be required to capture specific unique user information in order to pass that along to a third party.
 
Caliber26 said:
I can't even trust Siri to play the right song or call the right contact. Ain't no way I'd trust her to order something for me. Smart assistant? More like DUMB assistant. If it weren't because she's baked into iOS, Siri would be the least used assistant in the market.
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Would love to see ways to more directly input corrections on this. Perhaps a Siri request history I could check agains and edit the updates myself. I would opt-in to help for certain.
 
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I’m still shocked at how everyone has horrible experiences with Siri. Really don’t mean this in a “defend fruit company” way, but I have never had an issue with Siri. Maybe I just have the exact speech patterns she’s trained for? I can’t be the only one whose Siri experience has been at least mostly positive, right?
 
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A quote from another source says:

“Look at Apple TV+. The paid video-streaming service, unlike its bigger rivals, doesn’t collect demographic info about customers or a history of what they have watched, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation at Apple. That means Apple TV+ employees can’t analyze how customers move from one piece of content to another, making it next to impossible to recommend more videos to them based on their preferences—a contrast to Netflix, Disney and other streaming services, which use such data to get customers to watch more videos.”

The ‘See how your data is managed’ section in TV app says that they collect data if you have play history enabled: https://www.apple.com/uk/legal/privacy/data/en/apple-tv-app/
 
diskrisk said:
I’m still shocked at how everyone has horrible experiences with Siri. Really don’t mean this in a “defend fruit company” way, but I have never had an issue with Siri. Maybe I just have the exact speech patterns she’s trained for? I can’t be the only one whose Siri experience has been at least mostly positive, right?
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I think it depends on use.
I use both GA and Siri and find Siri to be basically mindless and thoughtless (like "I found this for you ..." when you ask for the closest Starbucks address while driving).
 
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