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posted by Fnord666 on Saturday August 03 2019, @03:49PM   Printer-friendly
from the listening-in dept.

Submitted via IRC for Bytram

Apple suspends Siri response grading in response to privacy concerns – TechCrunch

In response to concerns raised by a Guardian story last week over how recordings of Siri queries are used for quality control, Apple is suspending the program world wide. Apple says it will review the process that it uses, called grading, to determine whether Siri is hearing queries correctly, or being invoked by mistake.

In addition, it will be issuing a software update in the future that will let Siri users choose whether they participate in the grading process or not.

The Guardian story from Alex Hern quoted extensively from a contractor at a firm hired by Apple to perform part of a Siri quality control process it calls grading. This takes snippets of audio, which are not connected to names or IDs of individuals, and has contractors listen to them to judge whether Siri is accurately hearing them — and whether Siri may have been invoked by mistake.

"We are committed to delivering a great Siri experience while protecting user privacy," Apple said in a statement to TechCrunch. "While we conduct a thorough review, we are suspending Siri grading globally. Additionally, as part of a future software update, users will have the ability to choose to participate in grading."

Previously: Siri Records Fights, Doctor's Appointments, and Sex (and Contractors Hear It)


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  • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 03 2019, @04:17PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 03 2019, @04:17PM (#875179)

    I plugged my usb into apple to copy my music pdfs. Instead of copying once, apple duplicated every music pdf over and over until the usb overheated. When I asked Siri she slapped me in the face without a refund.

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  • (Score: 3, Touché) by BsAtHome on Saturday August 03 2019, @05:45PM

    by BsAtHome (889) on Saturday August 03 2019, @05:45PM (#875200)

    You're copying it wrong!

  • (Score: 2) by MostCynical on Saturday August 03 2019, @10:27PM

    by MostCynical (2589) on Saturday August 03 2019, @10:27PM (#875267) Journal

    usb? shouldn't you be doing everything with Bluetooth(Apple variant(TM/FU))

    --
    "I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex