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A former Apple contractor has written to the EU criticising Apple's policy regarding Siri analysis.
The former Apple contractor has written to the EU to express his concerns about Apple's policy of collecting and intercepting Siri data. Thomas le Bonniec worked as a subcontractor for Apple in Cork before resigning due to "ethical concerns." As The Guardian reports, Le Bonniec has now written to the EU, stating:
“Large technology companies are eavesdropping on entire populations”
It is worrying that Apple (and undoubtedly not only Apple) continues to ignore and violate fundamental rights and continues to collect massive amounts of data.
I'm extremely concerned that big tech companies are essentially spying on entire populations, even though European citizens are told that the EU has some of the strongest data protection laws in the world. Passing a law isn't enough: it must be enforced against data violators."
Last year, it was revealed that Apple had paid external companies to listen to and analyze Siri recordings from thousands of users. The recordings included very sensitive conversations, such as those between doctors and patients, business people and more. Le Bonniec appears to have been one of these subcontractors. He stated at the time of his departure in 2019 The Guardian opposite:
They operate in a moral and legal grey area… and they have been doing so on a grand scale for years. They should be challenged in every way possible.
After the scandal became known, Apple said it changed its policy. The Siri analysis was temporarily suspended and rescheduled. Customers now have the option to decide for themselves whether Audio recordings may or may not be shared with Apple for analysis purposes. In addition, users can completely delete the Siri history at any time. The whistleblower's letter also states:
Le Bonniec demands justice
"The recordings weren't limited to Apple device users, but also included relatives, children, friends, colleagues, and anyone who could be recorded with the device. The system recorded everything: names, addresses, messages, searches, arguments, background noise, movies, and conversations. I heard people talking about their cancer, dead relatives, religion, sexuality, pornography, politics, school, relationships, or drugs, with no intention of activating Siri in any way.
These practices clearly contradict the company's 'privacy-first' policies and should be urgently investigated by data protection authorities and data protection commissioners. With this statement, I would like to draw your attention to this issue and also offer my cooperation in providing any evidence to substantiate these facts. Although this case has already been made public, to the best of my knowledge, Apple has not been subject to any investigation."
Ultimately, Le Bonniec is concerned that Apple should not face any penalties, nor that there was even an investigation into the matter at the time. It remains to be seen whether his letter will be successful. (Photo by franky242 / Bigstockphoto)
