Apple’s promised Siri recording opt-in feature is starting to roll out with the latest beta for the upcoming iOS 13. 2 update, as spotted byTechCrunch, allowing customers to decide if they’d like to give audio recordings of requests to Apple to improve Siri.
The new feature comes after a scandal over Siri recordings earlier this year when Apple (as well asGoogle,Amazon,Facebook, andMicrosoft) was caught using third-party contractors to listen and grade recordings of Siri conversations. The problem was that Apple didn’t make it clear that it had any actual humans listening in, much less random contractors who didn’t even formally work at Apple itself.
In response,Apple issued an apology and suspended the program. It also changed its policies so that Siri recordings wouldn’t be kept by default, and developed a new opt-in program for users who specifically want to give their recordings over to Apple to help improve Siri. It’s that new program that’s rolling out with the latest iOS 2.beta. *****
Additionally, Apple promises that only Apple employees will be reviewing the audio clips, not contractors, although both contractors and employees will still be able to review text-only computer- generated transcripts from Siri.
Furthermore, Apple is adding a new “Delete Siri and Dictation History” trigger, where users will be able to manually have Apple delete all data from past Siri requests. Data deleted within 24 hours of a Siri request won’t be included in the grading program for users that did opt in, giving those users the option to prevent specific requests from being overheard.
With iOS 13. 2 still in beta, it’s possible that these features might be delayed until a later public release, but barring a sudden delay, it seems like it’ll only be a short while before the new Siri opt-in feature is available for all iOS users.
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