With Apple Watch Eavesdropping Features, What Is at Stake Is Public Perception

Rodrigo Ghedin on the Audio Intelligence features in the new Apple Watch models: And… it doesn’t matter. The message that sticks in people’s minds is that the Apple Watch has become a constantly listening device. And although the new feature only works on the just-announced watches (Series 12 and Ultra 4), the distrust extends to every Apple Watch in use, since they are visually indistinguishable. In an announcement lasting just a few minutes, Apple threw in the trash a decade plus effort of trying to convince people that their iPhones aren’t listening to their conversations to serve ads hours later. Given the widespread belief in this conspiracy theory — in one study, over half of surveyed people believed it was a plausible explanation for targeted advertising — it is not surprising that some companies have cynically exploited public perception even as others, like Apple, desperately push back. I have seen people using the settled Siri lawsuit to argue Apple admitted to using audio…

Commenting on Bubbles has been removed. Why? If you want to talk about this post, write to the author, use the comments on their blog if it has them, or reply with a "RE:" post on your own blog. Suggestions? feedback@bubbles.town