Apple Faces Complaint Over Siri's Unauthorized Data Collection
Apple reportedly collected thousands of Siri recordings from users without authorization, including sensitive health and financial conversations, according to a former employee who alerted the Ligue des Droits de l'Homme, which filed a complaint with French prosecutors on 13 February 2025.
What happened
The Ligue des Droits de l'Homme filed a complaint on 13 February 2025 against Apple for unauthorized data collection via Siri, according to reporting by Radio France and Le Monde on 14 February 2025.
Thomas Le Bonniec, a 29-year-old former Apple employee working on the Crowd Collect project in Cork, Ireland, as a data operations analyst, reported that he reviewed thousands of Siri recordings, including many triggered accidentally without user knowledge.
Le Bonniec stated that among the recordings were intimate and sensitive conversations including discussions of health conditions, sexual activity, and financial information that should not have been captured by the voice assistant.
Reported impact
Users' private conversations were collected and reviewed by Apple employees without authorization, including sensitive health and financial information.
The complaint alleges that Apple engaged in unauthorized collection of personal data, illicit processing of personal data, and deceptive commercial practices.
Index analysis
Le Bonniec attempted to alert Apple management multiple times beginning in 2020, but his reports were not acted upon, according to the reporting.
Governance controls
The Ligue des Droits de l'Homme filed the complaint at the Paris prosecutor's office for violations of privacy, illicit processing of personal data, and deceptive commercial practices.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.