Apple (AAPL, Financial) recently clarified that it never sells data collected by its voice assistant, Siri, nor does it use this data to create marketing profiles. This statement comes after Apple resolved a lawsuit with similar allegations. The tech giant agreed to a $95 million settlement following claims that Siri often recorded private conversations after accidental activations and disclosed them to advertisers and other third parties. Apple denied these accusations and did not admit to any wrongdoing in the settlement agreement.
Under the terms of the settlement, millions of Apple customers could receive up to $20 per Siri-enabled device, including the iPhone and Apple Watch. Apple reiterated that it has never used Siri data for advertising or sold it for any purpose. This statement was issued after social media users and commentators suggested the settlement was an admission of the allegations.
Apple clarified that some features require real-time input from Apple servers, with Siri using minimal data to deliver accurate results. It emphasized that recordings of Siri interactions are not retained unless users explicitly choose to participate in improving Siri, and even then, recordings are solely for that purpose. Apple continues to develop technology to enhance Siri's privacy. Meanwhile, a similar lawsuit representing Google (GOOGL) voice assistant users is underway in California, represented by the same law firm as in the Apple case.
