Apple apologizes for letting contractors eavesdrop on Siri’s sex recordings
Sorry we’ve been eavesdropping on your sex life.
Apple on Wednesday apologized to its users for employing third-party contractors to listen to audio recordings picked up by its Siri voice assistant, including when the voice assistant program was accidentally triggered by muffled background noise.
The practice — in which Apple had contractors listened to recordings to grade Siri’s performance — made waves after a whistleblower said the voice assistant routinely recorded people having sex, as well as making drug deals and discussing confidential medical information.
“We realize we haven’t been fully living up to our high ideals, and for that we apologize,” Apple said Wednesday.
Apple suspended the recordings after the whistleblower, a former Apple contractor, exposed Apple’s eavesdropping practice to The Guardian newspaper in June.
“The sound of a zip, Siri often hears as a trigger,” the contractor said.
Apple CEO Tim Cook Sells Millions in Apple Stock
Apple CEO Tim Cook has sold the iPhone maker’s stock for the first time this year.
Cook sold 265,160 Apple shares (ticker: AAPL) on Aug. 26 for a total of $54.7 million, an average price of $206.17 per share. He sold stock after acquiring 560,000 Apple shares on Aug. 24 through restricted stock units that vested. Apple withheld 294,840 shares to satisfy tax-withholding requirements for the vesting of the restricted stock units.
Apple will launch iPhone 11 on Sept. 10 in Cupertino
Get ready for the iPhone 11 on Sept. 10.
Apple sent invitations to the media on Thursday for its next big product launch. It plans to introduce its newest devices and services at 10 a.m. PT at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California.
The iPhone may be a tougher sell this year. Apple isn’t expected to change the basic design of the device, making it the first time the iPhone’s had the same look for three years in a row. At the same time, rivals are introducing phones with flexible screens and with 5G — two innovations not found in Apple devices. Many people are looking toward 2020 for big iPhone changes.