Apple News: Are Siri Recordings Being Listened To? Whistleblower Sheds Light On Contractors Overhearing Users

A new report alleges that the Siri recordings of some iPhone users are heard by outside sources.

The Guardian reported that contractors - employed by Apple to provide quality assurance - regularly hear a small handful of Siri recordings that include private information. A whistleblower told the Guardian that these recordings have sometimes included users sharing medical information, conducting drug deals and even engaging in sex acts.

“There have been countless instances of recordings featuring private discussions between doctors and patients, business deals, seemingly criminal dealings, sexual encounters and so on,” the contractor said. “These recordings are accompanied by user data showing location, contact details, and app data.”

Contractors are tasked with determining a number of things based on the recordings, including if Siri was able to help the user, if the queries are things that Siri is capable of handling and whether Siri was activated deliberately or not.

This whistleblower primarily expressed concern over Apple’s failure to disclose this information to its customers. Contractors claimed that accidental activations, by things as simple as a zipper, most often resulted in confidential information being shared with these contractors, especially from the Apple Watch and HomePod lines of products.

“The regularity of accidental triggers on the watch is incredibly high,” they said. “The watch can record some snippets that will be 30 seconds – not that long but you can gather a good idea of what’s going on.”

Apple responded to the Guardian, emphasizing the security measures taken to protect users’ security.

“User requests are not associated with the user’s Apple ID,” the company said. “Siri responses are analysed in secure facilities and all reviewers are under the obligation to adhere to Apple’s strict confidentiality requirements.”