According to Le Monde and Radio France's investigative unit, a complaint was filed with the Paris prosecutor on Thursday, February 13, targeting Apple and accompanied by a complaint from the Ligue des droits de l'Homme ("Human Rights League"). Meanwhile, on Friday, a Californian court is due to rule on an out-of-court settlement in another case between users of Siri, Apple's voice assistant, and the American company.

The two procedures − a civil class action in the US, and a criminal complaint in France − are very different. But in substance, they involve the same criticisms: having recorded a lot of sound without properly informing customers, in violation of the right to privacy.

The French complaint is based primarily on information provided by Thomas Le Bonniec, a Frenchman who worked for several months in a department analyzing the content of Siri recordings on behalf of Apple, and has kept many screenshots of the work interfaces and training documents he was provided with. The procedure is based on the provisions of the so-called "Sapin 2" law, which allows Le Bonniec, supported by the Ligue des droits de l'Homme, to claim whistleblower status.

You have 77.71% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.