financetom
Business
financetom
/
Business
/
Apple clarifies Siri privacy stance after $95 million class action settlement
News World Market Environment Technology Personal Finance Politics Retail Business Economy Cryptocurrency Forex Stocks Market Commodities
Apple clarifies Siri privacy stance after $95 million class action settlement
Jan 8, 2025 7:36 PM

(Reuters) - Apple ( AAPL ) clarified on Wednesday that it has never sold the data collected by its Siri voice assistant or used it to create marketing profiles, just days after settling a case in which it faced such accusations.

The iPhone maker last week paid $95 million to settle a class action lawsuit in which plaintiffs alleged it routinely recorded their private conversations after they activated Siri unintentionally, and disclosed these conversations to third parties such as advertisers.

Voice assistants typically react when people use "hot words" such as "Hey, Siri."

The company denied those claims and did not admit to them in its settlement last week, in which tens of millions of Apple ( AAPL ) customers may receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device, such as iPhones and Apple Watches.

"Apple ( AAPL ) has never used Siri data to build marketing profiles, never made it available for advertising, and never sold it to anyone for any purpose," Apple ( AAPL ) said on Wednesday.

Apple ( AAPL ) issued the statement after social media users and commentators interpreted the settlement as confirmation that the allegations were true.

In its statement, the Cupertino, California-based company said that certain features require real-time input from Apple ( AAPL ) servers and it is only in such cases that Siri uses as little data as possible to deliver an accurate result.

"Apple ( AAPL ) does not retain audio recordings of Siri interactions unless users explicitly opt in to help improve Siri, and even then, the recordings are used solely for that purpose," Apple ( AAPL ) said, adding that it will continue developing technologies to make Siri even more private.

A similar lawsuit on behalf of users of Google's Voice Assistant is pending in the San Jose, California federal court. The plaintiffs are represented by the same law firms as in the Apple ( AAPL ) case.

Comments
Welcome to financetom comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Related Articles >
SJVN secures 200-MW wind power project at ₹3.24 per unit
SJVN secures 200-MW wind power project at ₹3.24 per unit
Nov 16, 2023
Projected to generate 482 million units in its inaugural year post-commissioning, the cumulative energy generation over a 25-year span is anticipated to reach 12,050 million units. Shares of SJVN Ltd ended at ₹75.17, down by ₹0.50, or 0.66%, on the BSE.
Tata Power Renewable Energy wins 200-MW project in collaboration with SJVN
Tata Power Renewable Energy wins 200-MW project in collaboration with SJVN
Nov 28, 2023
The firm and dispatchable renewable energy (FDRE) project, designed with a hybrid of solar, wind, and battery storage, is aimed at providing a stable and dispatchable energy supply during peak hours. Shares of Tata Power Company Ltd ended at ₹270.75, up by ₹12.60, or 4.88%, on the BSE.
Suzlon's S144–3 MW wind turbines get big boost from Indian government
Suzlon's S144–3 MW wind turbines get big boost from Indian government
Nov 15, 2023
Th Suzlon wind turbines received the RLMM (Revised List of Models & Manufacturers) listing from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, marking an important milestone for the successful commercialisation of the product. Shares of Suzlon Energy Ltd ended at ₹40.49, up by ₹1.85, or 4.79%, on the BSE.
This sustainable jewellery brand is luring some women away from gold
This sustainable jewellery brand is luring some women away from gold
Oct 30, 2023
Aulerth's offerings range from ₹5,000 to as high as ₹2.8 lakh. Are women willing to spend this much on jewellery made from scrap? Founder and CEO Vivek Ramabhadran definitely believes so. Aulerth produces couture-inspired pieces in association with designers like JJ Valaya, Suneet Varma, among others. It has reported 33% repeat customers in the past year and expects a spike to 40% soon.
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.financetom.com All Rights Reserved