Apple Deny Claims of Siri Data Misuse in Advertising

Apple has addressed persistent rumours about Siri, its voice assistant, being used to target users with ads. In a recent statement, the company reiterated that Siri data is never employed to build marketing profiles, shared with advertisers, or sold to third parties for any purpose. The statement followed Apple’s settlement of a $95 million lawsuit linked to Siri's handling of user conversations.

Apple’s Stand on Siri Privacy

In its detailed statement, Apple emphasized its commitment to privacy. The company stated:

"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 make Siri even more private, and will continue to do so."

The rumours resurfaced following Apple’s agreement to resolve a lawsuit alleging that Siri had inadvertently captured user conversations, which human contractors could have overheard.

The case was rooted in a 2019 report by The Guardian, which revealed that Apple employed contractors to review anonymized Siri recordings. These reviews aimed to assess whether Siri was triggered intentionally or accidentally. Some recordings, however, included sensitive user information. In response, Apple apologized and implemented policy changes, including making Siri’s default setting not to retain audio recordings. Users who opt-in to share recordings now do so with assurances that the data won’t be shared with external contractors.

Addressing Rumours of Ad Targeting

Despite these policy updates, rumours about Siri data misuse persist. Some plaintiffs in earlier filings alleged that after mentioning brand names like "Olive Garden" or "Air Jordans" during conversations, they were shown ads for those products. Apple dismissed these claims, clarifying that Siri recordings are not retained unless users explicitly opt-in to help improve the feature. Even then, the recordings are used solely for enhancing Siri’s functionality.

Apple is not alone in tackling such suspicions. In 2018, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg publicly denied similar accusations during congressional hearings. Investigations into these theories, including one in 2018, failed to uncover evidence of microphone spying but highlighted other practices, such as apps secretly recording user activity and sharing it with third parties.

Explaining Ad Targeting Mysteries

So why do users see ads for products they’ve only mentioned in conversation? Several plausible explanations exist. Ad networks track data from multiple sources, including shared networks or common locations. Data brokers compile and sell detailed location and behavioral information from apps, while platforms like Google and Facebook incorporate this data to refine ad targeting.

Apple continues to back privacy through initiatives like its App Tracking Transparency framework, which allows users to limit apps’ access to their data. The company’s proactive stance reinforces its dedication to safeguarding user information while debunking myths surrounding Siri’s role in advertising. By maintaining transparency and emphasizing user control, Apple underscores its commitment to prioritizing customer privacy in an increasingly data-driven digital world.