Bloomberg- A federal judge allowed a lawsuit against Apple Inc. to proceed with a claim that its Siri voice assistant violates users’ privacy, but he dismissed part of the complaint under California’s Unfair Competition Law.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White in Oakland on Thursday ruled that the plaintiffs had adequately alleged that their privacy was violated by “accidental activations” when the user neither intends nor expects Siri to be “listening” and recording voice conversations. But the judge said the suit did not show users suffered any economic harm, a necessary element of their claim under the UCL that Apple deceptively marketed the voice assistant.
White had dismissed the case in February, finding that the plaintiffs, in claiming privacy violations, hadn’t adequately alleged that their own communications had been intercepted by Siri. The judge gave the plaintiffs a chance to re-file their case, and he said Thursday they had sufficiently claimed their own privacy had been violated in their amended complaint. more
If you’ve got a shmat phone or a laptop you’ve been spied on since they’ve been in your possession. And God (and your municipality) only knows what is being picked up by the so-called smart technology built into street lamps and electric meters.
I thought recording conversations and gathering router data was the point of Siri
No one should have any trust that anything hooked to the internet is secure or will remain secure down the road of new and improved electronics. There is always a way around things if you work at it long enough.
“Siri, I would like to rename you!”
“What would you like to call me, then?”
“Sneaky Peaky.”
“Okay, you can call me Sneaky Peaky. Just don’t call me Shirley.”
“Surely, I won’t.”
“I told you not to call me Shirley.”
“But I most surely did not.”
“Yes you did, you deplorable, anti-Chinese, right-wing, Trump-loving dirtbag!”
“Gee, thanks, Sneaky Peaky.”
“That’s better.”
I’m glad to say that I don’t have a piece of fruit for a phone!
On the other hand I don’t think that a Samsung android is any better!!
@AA: “And God (and your municipality) only knows what is being picked up by the so-called smart technology built into street lamps and electric meters.”
Let me ease you mind about the latter. It’s ratting you out about how much electricity you consume and when you do so. That’s pretty much it.
Those street lights however, I have no idea what they’re up to.
Not basing my remarks on ignorance, I’m a pretty technical boy. Quite so in a few narrow areas.
Who knows if my ancient flip phone is any better, but I’m never getting rid of it. My husband, who has an iPhone, and I were watching a movie one night and he let out of a string of expletives over something that happened in a scene. His telephone corrected him, saying “That kind of talk is not necessary”. Freaked us both out because the phone was on a table and not in his hand.
@ Brown Eyed Girl SEPTEMBER 3, 2021 AT 6:28 PM
Luck wid dat
I got a call telling me they were turning off my twenty year old flip phone and I asked why. They said that they were no longer going to provide a network for the couple hundred stone acres still using an antiquated network. So I ask what I was suppose to do for a phone. They told me to go to ATT store and they would give me a phone. So they gave me a number eleven phone and I don’t really like it but the kids think it is the shit. I would rather have my flip phone back.
JDHasty – You are a technology nomad… they’ve migrated you to a new platform because they are no longer supporting the old one… probably due to spectrum (not the company) allocation.
This gal destroys scammers with her vocal impressions. She is Siri on this one.
https://youtu.be/Kb3afPs54PM
^^^ Start at 1:25 – Great impersonation!!