Apple Highlights Siri Privacy Reminders Following $95 Million Class Action Lawsuit

Apple has provided a lengthy reminder of its user privacy policies when looking at its devices, services, and Siri. As a continued commitment to protecting user data and privacy, the company states that “privacy is a foundational part of the design process” across its products and features.

In a recent press release, Apple clarified that Siri has never been used to build marketing profiles. The company aims to ensure users understand that the virtual assistant has never been using data for advertising nor sold it to any third-party companies. “We are constantly developing technologies to make Siri even more private, and will continue to do so,” Apple says.

To help protect user data, Siri is designed to use data and process it as much as possible right from the user’s device. When interacting with Siri, the request is said to be processed on the device whenever possible. For example, if asking Siri to read an unread message, the virtual assistant provides suggestions through widgets and Siri search. The entire process is conducted through the user’s device and the contents of the message aren’t processed through Apple’s servers. This also extends to the audio of the request on capable devices. Audio is processed using the Neural Engine and never sent to Apple unless authorized by the user.

User data collection is minimal for Siri requests, Apple clarifies. It’s said that while the company attempts to do as much as possible on the device, certain features do rely on Apple servers. With that in mind, Siri uses as little data as possible. Siri searches and requests are said to not be associated with a user’s Apple Account. Instead, Apple uses a random identifier, comprised of unassociated letters and numbers to keep track of data while it’s processing. Apple states it doesn’t retain audio recordings of Siri interactions unless the user opts in. Even then, those are used solely for the query, the company explains.

Finally, as we look ahead at future innovations of Apple Intelligence and a new era of Siri, Apple clarifies that the technology is “designed to protect users’ privacy at every step.” When looking at Apple Intelligence requests that require large models, off the device, Private Cloud Compute extends the privacy and security of iPhone onto the cloud. Siri uses Private Cloud Compute for queries. This technology never stores user data and only uses it to fulfill requests.

Last week Apple agreed to pay  $95 million USD (about $137 million CAD) in a settlement class action lawsuit that claimed Siri recorded private messages. The result of the lawsuit means that those who owned a Siri-enabled device, iPhone, Apple Watch, etc. from 2014 to 2024, could be eligible for up to $20 USD per device. Apple did not admit to any foul play though chose to settle and refrain from a lengthy court battle.