Updated
Updated · The Verge · Sep 9
Apple Details Siri Audio Privacy on S11 Chip as 4 New Listening Features Debut
Updated
Updated · The Verge · Sep 9

Apple Details Siri Audio Privacy on S11 Chip as 4 New Listening Features Debut

3 articles · Updated · The Verge · Sep 9

Summary

  • Apple said raw microphone audio for Siri Audio Intelligence is processed inside the S11 chip’s Secure Exclave and is neither stored as a file nor accessible to watchOS, apps, users, or Apple.
  • The privacy outline accompanies four new features—Siri Recap, Live Rewind, Sound Recognition and Music Recognition—as Apple tries to answer concerns about always-listening AI.
  • Live Rewind requires a double-tap of the Digital Crown each time it is used, and Apple said users decide whether and when the listening features are active.
  • If Audio Intelligence data moves to an iPhone, Apple said it is encrypted between both devices’ Secure Exclaves, while saved text can sync with end-to-end encryption when iCloud 2-factor authentication and a passcode are enabled.

Insights

If Apple's new watch constantly buffers audio for Live Rewind, how can users be absolutely certain their private conversations truly vanish?
Could a sophisticated exploit bypass the S11 chip's Secure Exclave and secretly extract your continuously buffered microphone data?
Will wearing a device that constantly analyzes ambient sound fundamentally alter human behavior and how freely we speak around others?