Apple explained on Wednesday that it has never sold the data gathered by its Siri voice assistant or used it to create marketing profiles, just days after settling a lawsuit in which it faced such charges.
Last week, Apple agreed to a $95 million settlement in a class action lawsuit where plaintiffs accused the company of inadvertently recording private conversations through Siri and sharing them with third parties, such as advertisers.
Despite the settlement, Apple firmly denied the claims and did not admit any wrongdoing.
Allegations and Settlement Details
The lawsuit centered on accusations that Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, was activated unintentionally by users, leading to the recording of private conversations.
These recordings were allegedly shared with advertisers. The settlement offers eligible Apple customers up to $20 per Siri-enabled device, including iPhones and Apple Watches.
Apple’s Response to the Allegations
In response to the settlement, Apple issued a statement clarifying its stance. “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 asserted.
Apple emphasized that any data processed by Siri is used minimally and solely for delivering accurate results.
Siri’s Data Usage Practices
Apple explained that Siri only accesses real-time data from Apple servers when necessary and that audio recordings are not retained unless users explicitly opt-in to improve Siri. Even when users opt-in, the recordings are used strictly for enhancing Siri’s performance.
Commitment to Privacy
Addressing concerns raised on social media, Apple reaffirmed its dedication to user privacy and the ongoing development of technologies to make Siri even more secure.
The company aims to ensure that user data is handled with the utmost care and privacy, aligning with its broader commitment to safeguarding personal information.
This settlement underscores the ongoing challenges tech companies face in balancing the development of advanced features with maintaining user privacy.