Microsoft and Google, Amazon, Apple tied world's most valuable company. Previously, Amazon, Google, Apple has been exposed recording monitor scandal, as the current market value of the first technology companies, Microsoft was among them. It appears that audio monitoring technology giants seems to be standard.
According to US News website reported deputy, chambers of commerce outsourcing Microsoft Skype users monitor and record user Cortana, these recordings include intimate conversations private matter between the couple, such as weight loss.
2015, Skype launched translation services, users can instant voice translation audio clips .Vice obtained tends to be short when the phone, video call, the duration of generally 5 to 10 seconds. According to knowledgeable sources, other segments may be longer.
When Microsoft contractors to provide a recording out, they will receive a series of content generated by Skype translation system. Subsequently, the outsourcer choose the most accurate translations, or provide your own translation. These recordings are considered confidential Microsoft, Microsoft said that only through a secure online portal outside contractor provides audio data, the company will take appropriate steps to remove a user or device identification numbers and other personal information.
However, according to deputy reported, although this information is very sensitive, but there are some employees in the outsourcing business at home listening to, recording deal with Skype and Cortana, these are not very safe processing environment.
Microsoft spokesman responded: "Microsoft to collect voice data to provide improved voice services, such as search, voice command, dictation or translation services, we strive to be transparent in the collection and use of voice data, to ensure that customers understand when and how to choose using their voice data. prior to the collection and use of customer's voice data, Microsoft will get the customer's permission. "
Skype website also said the move was to improve the platform chat service, but the same did not illustrate this point.
AI techniques need to refer to large amounts of data, provided that obtain consent
Which is before Google, Amazon, Apple scandal very similar, and both involve voice assistant .4 companies have claimed that the move was to improve the understanding voice assistant, are hiring contractors artificial listening mode, using only a small voice saying fragment (Apple said less than 1% of the data, Google will only listen to about 0.2% clip).
We have analyzed, in some technology companies involved in AI technology, often require large amounts of data, but the flow was ahead and use data; otherwise, if only out to improve the user experience is also a violation of informed users' personal information flows right. But more than four technology companies apparently did not follow this, this is the crux of the problem.
Quoted the deputy head of data development project Frederick ‧ 卡尔特乌纳 (Frederike Kaltheuner) privacy point of view of international organizations (Privacy International), she believes that companies should use to record people's conversations and the way these records are 100% transparent . If the user voice samples (for whatever reason) to go through a manual review, the system should ask you if you agree, or at least let you opt out.