Apple has suspended access to Siri recording for contractors following claims of a worker that they “regularly” overheard confidential and intimate encounters, including drug deals. Apple’s voice assistant Siri records some messages in order to allow humans to help the services ability to understand a dictation.
Apple have now announced a global suspension of Siri’s recordings. In a statement the company said: “We are committed to delivering a great Siri experience while protecting user privacy. While we conduct a thorough review, we are suspending Siri grading globally. Additionally, as part of a future software update, users will have the ability to choose to participate in grading.”
Siri allows users to work their iPhone with their voice commands. The service becomes active and starts recording when the iPhone hears the phrase “Hey, Siri”.
Last week a report in the Guardian revealed that Apple’s contractors regularly hear confidential and private information. The confidential information was recorded through accidental triggers of Siri. The Apple Watch was home to many of these triggers, Apple explained to the Guardian: “The regularity of accidental triggers on the watch is incredibly high … 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.
