Cupertino, California: Apple has issued a clarification regarding its privacy practices for Siri, emphasizing that it has never sold or used Siri data to create marketing profiles, following a $95 million class action settlement. The settlement came after accusations that Apple recorded private conversations from users who unintentionally activated Siri and shared those recordings with third parties, including advertisers.
The tech giant strongly denied these allegations in its statement, asserting that it had not used Siri data for advertising purposes, nor sold it for any reason. Despite settling the case, Apple did not admit to the claims. The settlement could see millions of Apple users receive up to $20 for each eligible device, including iPhones and Apple Watches.
“Apple has never used Siri data to build marketing profiles, never made it available for advertising, and never sold it to anyone for any purpose,” the company reiterated in its Wednesday statement. This clarification was issued after social media commentary interpreted the settlement as an admission of the allegations.
Also Read | Black Nazarene Procession in the Philippines Draws Record Crowds in Show of Faith
Apple further explained that Siri requires real-time input from its servers for certain functions and uses minimal data to ensure accurate results. The company also highlighted that it does not retain audio recordings of Siri interactions unless users opt in for the purpose of improving Siri’s performance. If users consent, the recordings are solely used for that purpose, Apple added, emphasizing its ongoing commitment to enhancing Siri’s privacy features.
Also Read | Taiwan and China Clash Over Undersea Cable Incident Amid Rising Concerns
This legal settlement comes amid a similar lawsuit filed against Google’s Voice Assistant, with both cases being represented by the same law firms in California’s federal court.
