Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Aug 04, 2025

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.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
×