France investigates apple for tracking users through Siri

French prosecutors in Paris have launched an investigation into Apple over alleged surveillance of users through its Siri voice assistant, Politico reports.

The probe is being conducted by OFAC, the French agency specializing in cybercrime, and follows a complaint filed by the NGO Ligue des droits de l’Homme.

The complaint centers on former Apple subcontractor employee Thomas le Bonniec, who reviewed recordings made by Siri to improve the voice assistant’s responses. In 2019, he listened to thousands of user recordings which, he said, often revealed sensitive and confidential information.

“How many recordings in total have been made by Apple since 2014? How many people are affected? Where is this data stored?” le Bonniec asked.

Apple’s French office has denied any wrongdoing, stating

Apple has never used Siri data to create marketing profiles, has never made it available for advertising and has never sold it to anyone for any reason whatsoever.

The company further insisted that it does not retain “audio recordings of interactions with Siri, unless the user explicitly agrees.”

Before turning to French prosecutors, le Bonniec had raised concerns with data protection authorities, including France’s CNIL (National Commission on Informatics and Liberty) and Ireland’s Data Protection Commission.