Who is Really Listening? French Investigation Challenges Apple's Privacy Claims

How Private is “Hey Siri”? Apples Voice Assistant Under Fire Over Data Collection Claims

Shakti Sharma
3 Min Read

PARIS:  On Monday, prosecutors initiated a formal criminal inquiry targeting Apple Inc.’s voice assistant, Siri. This action follows a complaint filed by the Ligue des Droits de l’Homme (LDH), a prominent French human rights organization, alongside the tech researcher Thomas Le Bonniec. The gravity of the case led the Paris prosecutor’s office to assign it to France’s specialized cybercrime police unit.

The Core Allegations: Secret Recording

The heart of the complaint states that Apple has been recording and analyzing the conversations users have with Siri—and even those it may mistakenly capture—without their clear, explicit permission. The LDH contends that this practice represents a fundamental violation of privacy rights and data protection laws. The use of these recordings for analysis raises questions about the scope of data collection and how deeply big tech enters the private lives of consumers, even when a device is seemingly idle.

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Apple’s Defense and a Troubled History

In response to the investigation, Apple has asserted that it has consistently strengthened Siri’s privacy safeguards. The company stated that it improved protections in 2019 and again in 2025, specifically claiming that voice recordings are never sold to advertisers or shared with marketing firms. However, this is not the first time Siri’s practices have drawn legal fire. The French probe follows a ₹842 Crore ($95 million) settlement in the U.S. in January 2025. That lawsuit alleged Siri had inadvertently recorded private conversations, which sometimes resulted in users receiving targeted advertisements, linking private speech directly to commercial efforts.

Scrutiny Mounts Amid AI Competition

This latest legal challenge comes as Apple faces intense pressure regarding its technology leadership. Industry analysts and investors have increasingly criticized the company for the slow pace of its development in generative artificial intelligence (AI). Critics argue that Siri has fallen notably behind competitors like Alphabet’s Google Assistant. The investigation adds to a challenging environment for Apple, forcing the company to simultaneously defend its past privacy practices while racing to overhaul Siri into a more advanced, chatbot-like assistant to compete in the fast-evolving AI landscape.

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