IBM Blocks Siri On Its Networks

When you use Siri, voice data is sent back to Apple's servers in order to be processed, but the information is also stored there for a period of time to help hone the voice assistant. IBM seems to be a little spooked by this, and has begun blocking use of Siri on its private networks in the fear that sensitive information may wind up in the wrong hands.

Call it being cautious, or maybe paranoid, but the IBM CIO Jeanette Horan confirmed that the use of Siri was blocked on its networks. Data is stored on Apple's servers after being processed, and IBM doesn't want any information being extracted from said data. Apple doesn't say how long data is stored for either, or who is able to access it, so maybe IBM is better off being safe. The company also blocks cloud applications like Dropbox for similar security concerns.

Edward Wrenbeck, the lead developer for the original Siri app for iPhone, says that privacy was always a hot topic: "Just having it known that you're at a certain customer's location might be in violation of a non-disclosure agreement." However, he doesn't feel that it's as big an issue as some would make it out to be: "People are already doing things on these mobile devices. Maybe Siri makes their life a little bit easier, but it's not exactly opening up a new avenue that wasn't there before."

[via The Next Web/Wired]