Bug Opted Users Back In to Sharing Siri Recordings
Juli Clover (tweet):
The second beta of iOS 15.4 addresses an iOS 15 bug that was allowing the iPhone to upload some Siri recordings to Apple even when users had previously opted out of doing so, Apple said in a statement to ZDNet.
[…]
There is no word on how many recordings Apple accidentally collected nor who was affected.
The Improve Siri & Dictation setting was turned off in 15.2 to fix a bug that was introduced in iOS 15. This bug enabled the setting for some users who had previously opted out. In other words, recordings were being kept for some users who had opted out of the setting instead of being deleted.
This class of bug—an update opting users back into something they had opted out of—seems to be really common for Apple.
What is painful is that the bug affected mostly people that had on purpose opted out from being recorded. Since identifying the bug, Apple has stopped reviewing and started removing audio received from all affected devices.
One thing that is unfortunately considered standard behavior for Apple is that it kept the information under its hat until it was fixed. It is clear from its statements that the company has known about the bug at least since before the introduction of version 15.2 (December 13, 2021).
Previously:
- Opting Out of Sharing Siri Audio Recordings
- Apple Contractors “Regularly Hear Confidential Details” on Siri Recordings
Update (2022-02-11): Jeff Johnson:
Every iOS and macOS update re-enables Bluetooth.
Sounds more like a rat than a bug to me.