Apple Fined in South Korea for Using Siri Voice Data Without Consent

South Korea's Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) has fined Apple 252 million won (approximately $180,000 USD) and issued a corrective order for the unauthorized use of voice data collected through its virtual assistant, Siri. The tech giant is accused of using users' voice recordings and their transcribed text data for service improvement without obtaining explicit consent.

According to the PIPC, Apple utilized voice data and transcripts, generated when users asked Siri about weather or schedules, for example, to enhance Siri's voice recognition accuracy and refine search results. This practice allegedly continued until August 2019. The commission determined that this usage violated personal information protection laws, as separate consent was not secured for leveraging this sensitive data for service enhancement.

The investigation into Apple's data handling practices was initiated following a class-action lawsuit filed in the United States. Apple reached a $95 million USD settlement in January of the previous year to resolve similar allegations concerning its Siri data usage in the US. Upon learning of this settlement, the PIPC launched its own inquiry into the matter within South Korea.

The PIPC's findings indicate that Apple's data collection and usage methods, particularly concerning voice data prior to October 2019, did not meet the country's legal requirements for user consent. The commission's decision mandates Apple to rectify its practices and publicly acknowledge the ruling, aiming to ensure greater transparency and user control over personal data.