how can I use dictation and keep my privacy

I bought anew iphone 6s with ois9.2 installed. I would like to use dictation AND keep my info private. How can I do this? Dictation has the same privacy poicy as Siri requiring me to allow them to collect, use and store all my persoal conversations. I value my privacy as I believe a lot of people do. Why would apple not give us a do not send data option for Siri and Dictation? We should have a choice. Why should I pay $1000 for a phone, only to find the cool features csn't be used unless I share personal information?


I don't want to be part of beta testing for artificial intelligence. Nor do I want to have my personal habits available to marketing people so they can use more clever persuasion to sell me things. I believe that apple's decision to not give me the option to use the already existing siri and dictation features on my new phone and keep my privacy is a serious mistake. It makes the phone less valuable to me because I have no option to use it's features withou sharing personal information with apple about my transactions and habits. Does apple intend to give me an option?


WHat do other users think about this?

iPhone 6s Plus, Mac OS 9.2.x

Posted on Oct 4, 2015 4:59 PM

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7 replies

Oct 4, 2015 6:45 PM in response to klpn

my question is not what apple does with my information. My question is why apple doesn't give me s choice to opt out of sending my information. I can opt out of sending error reports. Why not this? I have 128 gigs of storage on my new phone. I should be able to keep my info local. If others think apple should give us the option to opt out, they should let apple know. I am only one voice. I can return my new iphone. but most likely the only thing that can change this is if many also see this as a problem and ask apple to make an option available to us to opt out.

Oct 4, 2015 5:51 PM in response to klpn

Why would apple not give us a do not send data option for Siri and Dictation?

Because there is not enough room on the iPhone to store the database required to do process the dictation and convert it to text.

You can download the database on a Mac.


Apple doesn't provide that information to anyone, even themselves. The information is used anonymously to translate what you say and send it back to you. It isn't stored anywhere.

Oct 4, 2015 6:51 PM in response to klpn

klpn wrote:


my question is not what apple does with my information. My question is why apple doesn't give me s choice to opt out of sending my information.

I told you the reason. The function cannot be efficiently done on your iPhone. The data required to do the translation would not fit on your iPhone.


What you posted from Apple contradicts your statements regarding beta testing artificial intelligence or marketing. The information is sent so that it can identify who you mean when you ask it to "Call Bob."


You obviously don't trust Apple, so I'm not sure why you would use any of their products.

Oct 4, 2015 6:15 PM in response to Barney-15E

Here is stated Apple policy taken directly from apple:


When you use Siri and Dictation the things you say and dictate will be recorded and sent to Apple to process your requests. Your device will also send Apple other information, such as your name and nickname; the names, nicknames, and relationship with you (e.g., “my dad”) of your address book contacts, song names in your collection, HomeKit-enabled devices in your home (e.g., “living room lights”), and the names of your photo albums (collectively, your “User Data”). All of this data is used to help Siri and Dictation on your iOS device and any paired Apple Watch understand you better and recognize what you say. It is not linked to other data that Apple may have from your use of other Apple services.



If you have Location Services turned on, the location of your device at the time you make a request will also be sent to Apple to help Siri and Dictation improve the accuracy of its response to your requests. You may choose to turn off Location Services for Siri. To do so, open Settings on your iOS device, tap Privacy, tap Location Services, tap Siri & Dictation and select “Never”.



You may choose to turn off Siri or Dictation at any time. To turn off Siri, open Settings on your iOS device, tap General, tap Siri, and slide the Siri switch to “off”. To turn off Dictation, open Settings, tap General, tap Keyboard, and slide the Enable Dictation switch to “off”. If you turn off both Siri and Dictation, Apple will delete your User Data, as well as your recent voice input data. Older voice input data that has been disassociated from you may be retained for a period of time to generally improve Siri, Dictation and dictation functionality in other Apple products and services. This voice input data may include audio files and transcripts of what you said, related diagnostic data, such as hardware and operating system specifications and performance statistics, and the approximate location of your device at the time the request was made.



You can also restrict the ability to use Siri & Dictation altogether under the Restrictions Setting.



By using Siri or Dictation, you agree and consent to Apple’s and its subsidiaries’ and agents’ transmission, collection, maintenance, processing, and use of this information, including your voice input and User Data, to provide and improve Siri, Dictation, and dictation functionality in other Apple products and services.



At all times, information collected by Apple will be treated in accordance with Apple’s Privacy Policy, which can be found at www.apple.com/privacy.

Oct 4, 2015 8:45 PM in response to klpn

I don't have an iPhone, so I have the option to download the files Siri needs for local dictation to work (and it was a very large file, so I'd guess it would be too large for an iDevice) as I also would not want to use the "online" version. I also have Location Services turned off and regularly refuse access to whatever process/app/website ask to use it. These are my choices and I won't be able to use many of the latest features because of my choices; Apple is simply offering what everyone appears to want and expect: all devices interacting with one another and sharing everything online. That is the direction technology is going despite the fact that hackers appear to be able to hack into most anything, including one of the credit reporting agencies which should be impenetrable considering the information they store.


So, you need to make a choice: either take advantage of all the cool new features or decide your privacy is more important to you - you can't have both.

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how can I use dictation and keep my privacy

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