French prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into Apple’s voice assistant Siri, following a complaint alleging the illicit collection and processing of users’ data. The move marks the latest scrutiny of privacy practices by one of the world’s most prominent technology companies.
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed on Monday that the probe had been assigned to a police unit specialising in cybercrime, though it declined to provide further details. The investigation follows a complaint filed by the French human rights organisation Ligue des Droits de l’Homme (LDH), based on allegations brought forward by technology researcher Thomas Le Bonniec, Reuters reported.
Le Bonniec, who identified himself as the source of the complaint, previously raised concerns about Apple’s handling of Siri voice recordings. According to LDH, the complaint accuses Apple of collecting, recording, and analysing user conversations with Siri without obtaining proper consent, potentially breaching data protection laws.
“The opening of a criminal investigation sends a clear message: fundamental rights matter, and there are organisations and people determined to uphold them,” Le Bonniec said in a statement to Reuters.
Apple, in response, reiterated its commitment to privacy and pointed to improvements made to Siri’s data handling in recent years. “We tightened Siri privacy controls in 2019 and again this year,” the company told Reuters, highlighting a January statement on its website affirming that Siri interactions are never shared with marketers or sold to advertisers.
The French probe underscores growing regulatory scrutiny across Europe regarding how major technology firms handle personal data. It also follows a broader trend of European authorities examining potential violations of privacy and consumer protection standards by global tech companies.
As of Monday, LDH had not provided additional comments regarding the ongoing investigation.
