France Launches Probe into Apple Over Siri Voice Recordings

France has opened an investigation into Apple’s handling of Siri voice recordings, following a complaint from the human rights group Ligue des droits de l’Homme.

The case has been referred to the Office for Combating Cybercrime, according to a statement from the prosecutor's office. The investigation was first reported by news website Politico.

The probe focuses on Apple’s practice of collecting and retaining user audio through Siri, its voice assistant, which the company claims is an opt-in feature meant to improve performance.

The complaint was filed earlier this year, supported by whistleblower Thomas le Bonniec, a former Apple subcontractor who alleged that recordings of sensitive private conversations, including cancer patients, reported by Bloomberg.

Le Bonniec told Reuters, "The opening of a criminal investigation ... sends a clear message: fundamental rights matter, and there are organisations and people determined to uphold them. "

Apple declined to comment directly but referred to a January blog post stating that it "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."