Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Apple and Google stop workers playing back voices

Apple and Google stop workers playing back voices

The tech giants say they will temporarily stop using humans to monitor and spy on user's smart speaker recordings.

Apple and Google are temporarily stopping workers listening to voice recordings captured by smart speakers and virtual assistants.

It follows a Guardian report that third-party contractors used by Apple had heard people having sex and discussing private medical information.

Siri and other services can activate in error after wrongly picking up sounds they mishear as their "wake" words.

Apple said the move would affect users worldwide.

Google suspended the practice across the EU on 10 July but has only just confirmed the fact in public.

Amazon - which also uses staff to transcribe some recordings - has not commented.

Technology companies use staff to "grade" voice recordings to improve their virtual assistants' accuracy rates in handling requests - and take steps to anonymise the source.

Google, for example, distorts the recording before it is listened to in order to disguise the user's voice.

However, many members of the public were unaware of the practice until theBloomberg news agency reported the fact earlier this year.

"We are committed to delivering a great Siri experience while protecting user privacy,” Apple said in a statement.

“While we conduct a thorough review, we are suspending Siri grading globally."

The company added in the future users' voice recordings would not be included in the grading process unless they had chosen to opt in.

Germany's data protection commissioner in Hamburg has also launched an investigation into Google over the practice, with which the search company is cooperating.

Speech-recognising assistants were "highly risky" from a privacy point of view, the regulator said in a press release.

"The use of speech assistance systems must be transparent so that informed consent can be obtained from users," added the commissioner, Johannes Caspar.

Google said it had already stopped transcribing voice recordings and would continue to do so for at least three months.

A spokeswoman for the company said Google was "in touch" with the Hamburg data protection commissioner.

"We don’t associate audio clips with user accounts during the review process, and only perform reviews for around 0.2% of all clips," she added.

BBC News has asked Amazon whether it also plans to suspend speech monitoring.

In June, Dave Limp - the executive in charge of Alexa - said only a "tiny fraction of 1%" of voice recordings were ever listened to by humans.

But he conceded the company's terms and conditions could have been clearer about the matter.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Man Convicted of Fraud After Booking Over 120 Free Flights Posing as Flight Attendant
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Beata Thunberg Rebrands as Beata Ernman Amidst Sister's Activism Controversy
Hungarian Parliament Approves Citizenship Suspension Law
Prime Minister Orbán Criticizes EU's Ukraine Accession Plans
Hungarian Delicacies Introduced to Japanese Market
Hungary's Industrial Output Rises Amid Battery Sector Slump
President Sulyok Celebrates 15 Years of Hungarian Unity Efforts
Hungary's Szeleczki Shines at World Judo Championships
Visegrád Construction Trends Diverge as Hungary Lags
Hungary Hosts National Quantum Technology Workshop
Hungarian Animation Featured at Annecy Festival
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
UK and EU Reach New Economic Agreement
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
UK and EU Reach Agreement on Gibraltar's Schengen Integration
Israeli Finance Minister Imposes Banking Penalties on Palestinians
U.S. Inflation Rises to 2.4% in May Amid Trade Tensions
Trump's Policies Prompt Decline in Chinese Student Enrollment in U.S.
Global Oceans Near Record Temperatures as CO₂ Levels Climb
Trump Announces U.S.-China Trade Deal Covering Rare Earths
Smuggled U.S. Fuel Funds Mexican Cartels Amid Crackdown
Austrian School Shooting Leaves Nine Dead in Graz
Bezos's Lavish Venice Wedding Sparks Local Protests
Europe Prepares for Historic Lunar Rover Landing
Italian Parents Seek Therapy Amid Lengthy School Holidays
British Fishing Vessel Seized by France Fined €30,000
Dutch Government Collapses Amid Migration Policy Dispute
UK Commits to 3.5% GDP Defence Spending Under NATO Pressure
Germany Moves to Expedite Migrant Deportations
US Urges UK to Raise Defence Spending to 5% of GDP
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Low Turnout Jeopardizes Italy's Citizenship Reform Referendum
Transatlantic Interest Rate Divergence Widens as Trump Pressures Powell
EU Lawmaker Calls for Broader Exemptions in Supply Chain Legislation
France's Defense Spending Plans Threatened by High National Debt
European Small-Cap Stocks Outperform U.S. Rivals Amid Growth Revival
Switzerland Proposes $26 Billion Capital Increase for UBS
×