The Former Apple Contractor Claims To Have Listened To 1,000 Siri Clips A Day Without Consent. Last month we told you that Apple, like Amazon and Google, had external contractors. They listened to customer interactions with their virtual digital assistant. Apple, like other companies, states that it was necessary to do so to make sure that Siri is understanding the tasks. And to perform and responded adequately. The records classify and the contractors also determine if Siri activates on purpose or by accident.
The problem is that it is possible to activate Siri accidentally; The sound of a hinge is sometimes creating confusion by the assistant with artificial intelligence as an activation word. One complainant stated that the Apple Watch often activates Siri by mistake. And can record up to 30 seconds of audio. Consequently, Siri occasionally sent these contractors the recordings of the most intimate moments of the users. Other recordings heard by these third-party workers included users of Siri who discussed personal medical problems with their doctors.
Also Read: Turn Off and Power Down the Galaxy Note 10
Contents
Conversations of Apple customers with Siri to third parties without their consent
At that time, Apple tried to downplay this news. And states that only 1% of Siri’s daily activations are passing on to contractors. The company has suspended the program for now and a report by Irish examiners. It indicates that Apple’s decision to block the program led to the resolution of 300 workers in an Irish company. The company, called Globetech, sent letters to these employees. A former employee of Globetech now-fired said: “My colleagues are mostly young people from Cork who now have no job. This also includes dozens of people who have come from Canada, Australia, and mainland Europe.”
The same person also claims that employees have to listen to 1,000 Siri records during each shift. He added that each recording lasted only a few seconds. And that it mainly contained commands that said it to Siri. However, the former Globetech employee admitted that “occasionally we hear personal data or fragments of conversations”. He went on to say: “I understood the reasons why the company was doing it but I could see why people would feel it was a breach of privacy because they weren’t telling people. I think the lack of consent was the issue.” Both Apple and Globetech stated that the identity of each Siri user listened to in the recordings was anonymous.
“We believe that everyone should be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve — this includes our own employees and the suppliers we work within Ireland and around the world. Apple is committed to customer privacy and made the decision to suspend Siri grading while we conduct a thorough review of our processes. We’re working closely with our partners as we do this to ensure the best possible outcome for our suppliers, their employees and our customers around the world.”- Apple
Apple And Privacy
Apple prides itself on its ability to protect the privacy of iPhone users. After discovering this last year that Facebook allows the sale of profiles of 87 million subscribers. And to mention that this is without the consent of Cambridge Analytica (by the FTC with a fine of $5 billion), Apple CEO Tim Cook, He states several times that the company would never make its customers the product. While no one can be angry with Apple for trying to improve Siri, it is annoying because Apple is transmitting these fragments of recordings to companies like Globetech without the consent of its users. And remember, Globetech is just one of the companies that Apple is paying to evaluate Siri’s answers.
(Via: iDrop News)
