Apple Air Pods & Air Pods Pro
Things that go in your ears that are always on, always connected, and always listening — seems like there's the possibility something could go wrong. Whether you get the AirPods, AirPods Pro, or the pricey AirPods Max, Apple has a pretty good record when it comes to privacy and security so you should be safe. Now you just have to figure out a way not to lose these pricey little pods.
What could happen if something goes wrong?
Apple does a pretty good job with privacy and security as a company. They say they don't share or sell your data and Apple takes special care to make sure your Siri requests aren't associated with you, which is great. Apple did face backlash in 2019 when it came to light their contractors were regularly listening in on confidential personal conversations when they were reviewing the voice assistant's recordings. Apple changed their policy so users weren't automatically opted-in to human voice review. Recently, Apple made another positive change for your Siri voice requests — many audio requests for things like setting timers or alarms or controlling music will no longer be sent over the internet to their servers, instead processing them directly on the device. This is better for your privacy.
Apple did recently suffer a bad security vulnerability that resulted in spyware that could allow bad actors to record calls and messages and even turn an iPhone or iPad camera and microphone on without the user knowing. Apple did patch the security vulnerability. This is a good reminder that even the best companies can be vulnerable to high level hacking.
All in all, your AirPods are probably pretty secure and private. They’re still super easy to lose though, so keep in mind you can turn the Find My features on. That just means a little more location tracking in your life, which, in this case might be worth it.
Tips to protect yourself
- You can say “Hey Siri, stop listening.” to turn off speech recognition for some time
Security
A.I.
Can it snoop on me?
Camera
Device: No
App: N/A
Microphone
Device: Yes
App: N/A
Tracks location
Device: No
App: N/A
What can be used to sign up?
N/A
Phone
N/A
Third-party account
N/A
No sign-up required
What data does the company collect?
Personal
Name, email, phone number, address
Body related
Voice recordings, if you opt-in
Social
How does the company use this data?
How can you control your data?
What is the company’s known track record of protecting users’ data?
Apple had a recent serious security vulnerability. From Firewall Times: "In September 2021, researchers discovered that a spyware called Pegasus had infected iPhones and other Apple Devices via a ‘zero click exploit’, granting the spyware broad power over a users’ device. Once infected, the spyware could record calls and messages and even turn the device camera and microphone on without the user knowing. Pegasus was produced by the NSO Group, an Israel-based company that sells its spyware to governments such as Mexico and Saudi Arabia. Though this spyware would presumably be used to surveil terrorists and criminal enterprises, these governments have also used it to spy on activists, politicians, and journalists. As of September 13, 2021, Apple has patched the exploit.
Can this product be used offline?
User-friendly privacy information?
Apple has a webpage highlighting its privacy principles and features. Apple begins its privacy policy with a statement of principles. While this statement is very long, it is clearly broken out into relevant topics.
Links to privacy information
Does this product meet our Minimum Security Standards?
Encryption
Strong password
Bluetooth required
Security updates
Manages vulnerabilities
Apple has a bug bounty program, which means that anyone who finds a security issue and discloses it responsibly may get paid. https://developer.apple.com/security-bounty/
Privacy policy
Does the product use AI?
Some of Apple's AI research can be found at https://machinelearning.apple.com/.
Is this AI untrustworthy?
What kind of decisions does the AI make about you or for you?
Apple states in its privacy policy, "Apple does not take any decisions involving the use of algorithms or profiling that significantly affect you." Apple employs machine learning in many different ways, from using it to to improve Siri to using it to sharpen the photos that you take.
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