Apple is addressing recent rumors suggesting that it allowed advertisers to target users based on Siri recordings. In a statement released Wednesday evening, the tech giant clarified how Siri functions and the handling of user data.
Directly responding to these rumors, Apple emphasized:
“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. We are constantly developing technologies to enhance Siri’s privacy, and we will continue to do so.”
This speculation gained traction last week after Apple agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit related to allegations that Siri may have captured user conversations, potentially heard by human reviewers.
The settlement addresses concerns first reported by The Guardian in 2019, which indicated that contractors reviewing anonymized recordings sometimes encountered sensitive discussions. However, the report did not claim that this data was sold for marketing purposes.
Earlier filings revealed that some plaintiffs alleged they received ads for products after discussing brand names like “Olive Garden” and “Air Jordans.” In response, Apple stated that it “does not retain audio recordings of Siri interactions unless users explicitly opt-in to help improve Siri, and even then, those recordings are used solely for that purpose. Users can easily opt-out at any time.”
Facebook has faced similar allegations, with responses dating back to 2014 and 2016, culminating in Mark Zuckerberg’s direct denial during a Congressional hearing in 2018.
Given that Apple, Facebook, Google, and others assert they do not utilize such data, questions arise regarding why users encounter ads for products they merely discussed.
Alternative explanations exist. An investigation conducted in 2018 found no evidence of microphone surveillance. However, it did uncover that certain apps recorded on-screen activities and shared that data with third parties.
Ad targeting networks analyze information from users on the same network or in the same locations, making it plausible that an individual might see ads related to conversations made by someone else. Additionally, companies often acquire data from brokers who compile extensive location tracking and user information from apps, allowing firms like Google and Facebook to enhance their user profiles based on purchasing behaviors and other data points.
