Apple Statement: At Apple, we are committed
to protecting user data, and our products and features are built from
the ground up with innovative privacy technologies and techniques.
Privacy is a foundational part of the design process, driven by
principles that include data minimization, on-device intelligence,
transparency and control, and strong security protections that work
together to provide users with incredible experiences and peace of mind.
This applies to all of our products and services, including Siri, which
has been engineered to protect user privacy and is the most private
digital assistant.
Apple has never used Siri
data to build marketing profiles, never made it available for
advertising, and never sold it to anyone for any purpose. We are
constantly developing technologies to make Siri even more private, and
will continue to do so.
Here’s how Siri protects user data.
Siri Uses On-Device Processing Where Possible
To protect user privacy,
Siri is designed to do as much processing as possible right on a user’s
device, allowing for personalized experiences without having to transfer
and analyze personal information on Apple servers. When a user talks or
types to Siri, their request is processed on device whenever possible.
For example, when a user asks Siri to read unread messages, or when Siri
provides suggestions through widgets and Siri search, the processing is
done on the user’s device. The contents of the messages aren’t
transmitted to Apple servers, because that isn’t necessary to fulfill
the request. And for capable devices, the audio of user requests is
processed entirely on device using the Neural Engine, unless a user
chooses to share it with Apple.1
Apple Minimizes the Amount of Data Collected for Siri Requests
Although Apple attempts to
do as much as possible on device, certain features require real-time
input from Apple servers. And when that’s the case, Siri uses as little
data as possible to deliver an accurate result. Siri searches and
requests are not associated with your Apple Account. A random identifier
— a long string of letters and numbers associated with a single device —
is used to keep track of data while it’s being processed, rather than
tying it to a user’s identity through their Apple Account or phone
number — a process that we believe is unique among digital assistants in
use today. Apple does not retain audio recordings of Siri interactions unless users explicitly opt in to help improve Siri, and even then, the recordings are used solely for that purpose. Users can easily opt out at any time.
Breakthrough Privacy Protections with Private Cloud Compute
With the capabilities
provided by Apple Intelligence, we are at the start of a new era for
Siri, giving users the ability to get things done effortlessly with
built-in intelligence features that make Siri more capable, personal,
and helpful every day. Designed to protect users’
privacy at every step, many of the models that power Apple Intelligence
run entirely on device. For Apple Intelligence requests that require
access to larger models, Private Cloud Compute extends the privacy and
security of iPhone into the cloud to unlock even more intelligence. When
Siri uses Private Cloud Compute, a user’s data is not stored or made
accessible to Apple, and Private Cloud Compute only uses their data to
fulfill the request. We believe privacy is a
fundamental human right, and we will continue our relentless focus on
designing our products and services to protect it. Learn more about our
approach to privacy at apple.com/privacy.
More info here.
