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According to ZDNet, Apple has recognized an iOS 15 flaw that may have logged conversations with Siri on some devices, regardless of whether the user opted out. The bug enabled the Improve Siri & Dictation feature, which allows Apple to record, store, and evaluate your Siri talks.
Apple says iPhones records interactions with Siri
According to The Verge, Apple discovered the flaw immediately after the introduction of iOS 15, ceased analyzing any mistakenly received recordings, and is erasing data from impacted devices. When Apple updated iOS 15.2, it disabled the functionality for “many” users and rectified the opt-in setting after detecting the error.
As ZDNet points out, this is why, if you install the new 15.4 beta or, finally, its official version, you may see a message asking for your permission to enable the Improve Siri & Dictation feature. “We turned off the Improve Siri & Dictation setting for many Siri users with iOS 15.2 while we repaired an issue introduced with iOS 15,” Apple representative Catherine Franklin told The Verge. “This issue mistakenly enabled the option for a subset of devices.” We have ceased analyzing and are deleting audio received from all impacted devices since discovering the problem.”
This appears to be a significant enough flaw that Apple should openly warn consumers and urge them to keep their iPhones up to date, as well as inform anyone impacted. As it stands, the company’s statement does not specify how many phones were affected or when they were affected. Without openness, it’s impossible to know who may have had their conversations recorded and listened to by Apple workers despite their requests to prevent this outcome.
If you own an iPhone, now is an excellent opportunity to upgrade to iOS 15.2 or later (if you haven’t already). Apple said that it has ceased examining recordings and continues to destroy any data received from customers who have not yet updated to iOS 15.2 or above.
An earlier version of this story quoted ZDNet’s assertion that Apple rectified the flaw in 15.4’s second beta. Apple, on the other hand, claims that the flaw has been resolved in iOS 15.2. To include a comment from an Apple spokesman and clarify that Apple is deleting and no longer evaluating recordings from customers who have not yet upgraded to iOS 15.2.
