These weeks there has been quite a bit of news about the fact that both Google and Amazon listen to the conversations users have with their attendees. A news that raises doubts about the privacy of users, but that both companies say they do to improve its operation. After this news, the question was raised as to whether the situation with Apple and Siri was the same. It seems that it is so.
In this case, it appears that Apple have turned to an external company that they have outsourced, with which to listen to the conversations that users have with Siri. In this way, the company hopes to improve the functioning of its assistant in these conversations.
Although it has been possible to have access to statements of employees of this subcontracted company. They state that the people in charge of reviewing these conversations are regularly found with private information. From recordings of couples having sex, to confidential medical data or drug use. So it is sensitive information that is easily accessed.
Apple already informs users in its privacy policy about this possibility, as you can read in this link. They can collect and store data on how the company's services are used, in addition to the queries and searches that are carried out using them. The company states that this data that is collected from Siri is used to improve the relevance of the results provided. Although the company does not mention anywhere that it is an outsourced company or independent people who listen to these recordings.
The company says that the people who review these recordings they never have the name of this user. Pseudonyms or code names are used in these cases. So they listen to the Siri recording, but they don't know who the person is. In addition, Apple says that less than 1% of conversations are eavesdropped. At all times it is done to improve the quality of your assistant.
Undoubtedly, not an exclusive Apple practice. Also Google and Amazon have recognized these past weeks to do this. But this is something that also generates concern among users, who feel vulnerable in some way. So we don't know if there will be a policy change in the future in this field or not. What do you think?