Apple responds to ‘Siri privacy scandal’ by firing 300 contractors

Apple has reportedly fired 300 contractual workers who were hired to listen and review audio clips of Siri as part of the Siri grading process. The workers were needed to help improve Siri’s transcription and comprehension abilities. Workers heard around 1,000 of Siri recording clips in every shift to better Siri. But in the wake of the recent privacy concerns, Apple seems to be forced to halt its Siri grading process. The workers were based out of Cork, Ireland and were mostly listening to Canadian, Australian, and UK English accents, according to a report by The Examiner.

Citing the reason to halt the programme, an Apple spokesperson to the website, “We believe that everyone should be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve — this includes our own employees and the suppliers we work with in Ireland and around the world.