Apple Suspends Program That Lets Employees Listen to Siri Recordings for Quality Control, Opt Out Option Coming

[Crowbot]

Apple has an interest in keeping its appearance of privacy with its consumers. Apple may have no interest to Spy. But the US government and advertisers do...

Also yes, you don’t understand tech if you think just turning off “Hey Siri” is enough to protect you from being recorded. I’m an engineer too bud

I didn't mean to question your skills. It just sounded like you were questioning mine.

I'm sorry but I just don't subscribe to the whole "everyone's listening to me" business. Sure, the capability is there but capability does not imply intent. Anyone listening in on my life would soon drop off to sleep. And, as I said, Amazon is still pitching chandeliers to me. Not very effective profiling.

 

[dantroline]

I didn't mean to question your skills. It just sounded like you were questioning mine.

I'm sorry but I just don't subscribe to the whole "everyone's listening to me" business. Sure, the capability is there but capability does not imply intent. Anyone listening in on my life would soon drop off to sleep. And, as I said, Amazon is still pitching chandeliers to me. Not very effective profiling.

The point I think that gets missed is this: sure, the vast majority of us lead boring lives and have nothing to hide, but some people find themselves living unexpectedly interesting lives and they later live to regret being so lax with their privacy. It's great that some people have the self control to manage their devices and practices to preserve their anonymity and privacy where possible, but you have to ask yourself, whose side is Apple on when it comes to these things? It's pretty clear for the other companies already.

 

[Crowbot]

The point I think that gets missed is this: sure, the vast majority of us lead boring lives and have nothing to hide, but some people find themselves living unexpectedly interesting lives and they later live to regret being so lax with their privacy. It's great that some people have the self control to manage their devices and practices to preserve their anonymity and privacy where possible, but you have to ask yourself, whose side is Apple on when it comes to these things? It's pretty clear for the other companies already.

We agree. But I put more responsibility on the user than maybe you do. When I tell people how to really secure their devices (like using a VPN on public wifi) and they yawn, then I'm pretty much done with them.

For now, I still trust that Apple is putting systems in place that keep even them from spying. But I'm willing to be convinced otherwise. As long as I use someone else's design, I'm prey to their intentions.

 

[mjschabow]

Hopefully Siri heard me belting out U2's "Acrobat" in the kitchen a few weeks ago.

 

[I7guy]

Fixed that for ya.....

Thanks. I appreciate the assist.

 

[DeepIn2U]

“When The Guardian report came out, Apple confirmed that a small number of anonymized Siri requests are analyzed for the purpose of improving Siri and dictation. While Apple anonymizes Siri data that's evaluated for quality control and Siri improvement, its current privacy policy and security documents do not explicitly mention human oversight.“

When I read their policies (after their new policy pages came out), I took it to mean that they reviewed them. I don’t understand the shock behind this. How else are they meant to be improved if they aren’t listened to by other people? I’m assuming the contact info is only used when you say “Hey Siri, call my dad”. If it takes that stuff constantly no matter what, then that’s a bit of a concern.

It’s good they’re letting people opt out of it. That should’ve been there from day one

Hmm.

Changes to improve Siri:
Use voice to text! This way words like Ugh, ooo, baby (not in context can be thrown out!) sex would never be used. Numbers in a SIN/Social Security not in context to input (should be deleted in fact should NEVER be used!)

Use the AI for what it’s supposed to do!
- why is voice to text better on Apple Watch since S2 than on iPhone?!
[doublepost=1564972655][/doublepost]

I have to say, the word that bothers me most here is “contractor”. They need data to improve Siri. I don’t see a way around that. I expect Apple would have closer control over employees than contractors though. By definition, contractors are only marginally attached to the company and, I suspect, only marginally attached to the companies values.

BINGO!!

Latest news on this topic follows your thinking and worth the thousands of employees at Apple’s disposal they'll be moving this in-house.
[doublepost=1564973030][/doublepost]

The point I think that gets missed is this: sure, the vast majority of us lead boring lives and have nothing to hide, but some people find themselves living unexpectedly interesting lives and they later live to regret being so lax with their privacy. It's great that some people have the self control to manage their devices and practices to preserve their anonymity and privacy where possible, but you have to ask yourself, whose side is Apple on when it comes to these things? It's pretty clear for the other companies already.

In other words .... “it’s not that I have something to hide, it’s that I have nothing for you to see” and wish to keep it that way.

Apples head of privacy needs a drop kick for missing the boat on this. In fact Apple needs a FULL top down review of what Siri is doing across all devices and services and accounts and whom has access and what has access and when and for how long! When is the former data deleted? Is it necessary to keep data more than 24hrs/7days/30 days? What is the relevance for keeping it a set max time? How intricate is the Siri web weaved per person?!

There should be NO shortcuts with Siri and end user privacy at all.

In fact why the HELL am I to train Hey siri if Siri can not listen ONLY to my voice on my devices - except the AppleTV 4/4+ remotes?!

 

[DeepIn2U]

I believe they do. I remember when I first got Siri that I had to say "Hey Siri" a few times to train it. That stays on the phone.

I think he meant chancing ‘hey Siri’ to

Yo yush
Sup patner
Hey Twiki
Diggy diggy diggy
Booty booty booty
Thunder thunder thunder .... hooooo!
Yo Joe!

You get the idea.
[doublepost=1564973802][/doublepost]

No, it’s a slogan and it’s not a lie as I believe these activities are in the TOS. I want these handled by Apple employees.


A slogan isn’t a literal statement of fact. With Apple having north of 500 million customers I wouldn’t expect all to have the same opinion about anything, let alone on a tech site.
[doublepost=1564846892][/doublepost]
Man, manual reviews are one thing, sabotage quite another.

It’s not a slogan used in Apple’s ads. Apple has already across 3yrs stared iOS and iPhones are THE most secure mobile phones and OS. A slogan is a catch phrase already understood by urban and genera public and seen by internal legal counsel before going to press.

Apple screwed this up in a big way. In such a time this is not good for them!

 

[Crowbot]

I think he meant chancing ‘hey Siri’ to

Yo yush
Sup patner
Hey Twiki
Diggy diggy diggy
Booty booty booty
Thunder thunder thunder .... hooooo!
Yo Joe!

Right, I misread. It is a good idea. I think I'd choose "Hey Mo!"

 

[I7guy]

...

It’s not a slogan used in Apple’s ads. Apple has already across 3yrs stared iOS and iPhones are THE most secure mobile phones and OS. A slogan is a catch phrase already understood by urban and genera public and seen by internal legal counsel before going to press.

Apple screwed this up in a big way. In such a time this is not good for them!

I disagree, that is a slogan. It can't be a literal statement of fact, because even if you take Siri out of the equation, there is information that leaves the iphone for the interwebs.

So, if it's not a slogan and not a fact, then what is it?

 

[DeepIn2U]

Right, I misread. It is a good idea. I think I'd choose "Hey Mo!"

Lol Lethal Weapon movies? Loved those.

 

[Jyby]

Science Rules!

 

[elmaco]

It should be opt-in, the same way apps have to ask for permission before they can use GPS, access photos etc.

 

[Crowbot]

Lol Lethal Weapon movies? Loved those.

I was thinking Curley from the 3 Stooges.
[doublepost=1565010977][/doublepost]

I fear AI will listen... computers will never get tired of listening... And the CIA and NSA are we probably already doing that. Then what happens to civil rights? If those tools are abused. Or worse you’re the target of deep fakes that manipulate you into thinking a phone call with AI is really your wife?

I'd be most fearful of "deep fakes". Especially if I was a celebrity of any kind. (I'm NOT) And these things are going to have to be dealt with sooner rather than later. "They" won't need to spy on us if they can just make up evidence.

 

[techdetention]

So long as it is actually anonymized, I don't really care

The problem as the story originally highlighted is data which may not be anonymous. Such as you're talking to someone who asks for your address and somehow Siri triggers and it records said data. This data is then given to a third party contractor who now has no real concern about you but now against even their own desire has your personal information including anyone else with access to these files.

Google lets you login to their website and view your audio recordings, I recall Apple at some point said they were going to do something similar. When people see a website with their voice they normally change their opinion on these things.

 

[DeepIn2U]

I was thinking Curley from the 3 Stooges.

Oh completely forgot about them! Love the original three vs the 1 (or was it two actors that got replaced over time)? I was blessed to enjoy Chaplin, Stooges, Gilligan’s Island, Laurel & Hardy all on UHF on. Studio Zenith as a kid and loved how the applause light lit up during laughter audio as the feed contained the signal for the TV to prompt the in-studio audience.

Going to see if iTunes has The Three Stooges now!

Good chat n thx

 

[Crowbot]

Oh completely forgot about them! Love the original three vs the 1 (or was it two actors that got replaced over time)? I was blessed to enjoy Chaplin, Stooges, Gilligan’s Island, Laurel & Hardy all on UHF on. Studio Zenith as a kid and loved how the applause light lit up during laughter audio as the feed contained the signal for the TV to prompt the in-studio audience.

Going to see if iTunes has The Three Stooges now!

Good chat n thx

Joe Besser and Curley Joe DeRita. That was TV! Actually it was Vaudeville.

 

[StuKatz1]

How unbelievably creepy is this.
I really wonder where we will be in only 5 years time, with Apple and Facebook.

 

[I7guy]

How unbelievably creepy is this.
I really wonder where we will be in only 5 years time, with Apple and Facebook.

And google, and...

 

[Waxhead138]

And the amount of times I've intentionally triggered Siri via voice and get her do what I wanted her to do successfully, can be counted on a clumsy lumberjack's hand.

I'm stealing that clumsy lumberjack's hand line.....priceless.

 

[antonis]

Have Google or Amazon suspended human review in the past and promised an opt-out option?

Not sure about Amazon, but Google has plenty of pages allowing users to fine-tune what feedback will be sent from the user, for what services, for how long etc. etc. as well as the option to wipe these data, per service or all of them. And they did not create those pages after they've been caught.

However, I now realise the difference with apple...they do not have apple's blind apologists ready to bend over for a company.

 

[I7guy]

...However, I now realise the difference with apple...they do not have apple's blind apologists ready to bend over for a company.

True. And then there are those who believe their lot in life is so far ahead of others that they must be right in everything and others must be wrong. Which leads me to, why does one care if another wants to bend over for a company? It’s their money and life?