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A new claim tries to make you think HomePods and other smart speakers are monitoring what's playing on your radio channel you've selected, in some vague attempt at world domination or something.
In January 2025, Apple settled a legal case claiming that Siri was recording conversations. The recorders were anonymized, but at least some were being done while now the UK media wants to scare you about HomePod privacy — and help shake some cash out of Apple.
According to The Telegraph and absolutely nowhere else, smart speakers are monitoring when you use them to play a radio station. So if a UK user asks Siri to play BBC Radio 3, then Siri will allegedly note down every classical music symphony that station plays while you're listening.
"The platforms, because they're the gatekeepers and they have access to a lot of this data," Matt Payton, CEO of UK commercial radio body Radiocentre, is claimed to have said, "they can develop a similar service but with more information and more data in order to shape it."
Payton does not say that on his firm's own Radiocentre.org. Nor across any social media.
Radiocentre seemingly does not claim that, as The Telegraph puts it, tech giants have been accused of snooping.
That would be because they aren't. If you ask Siri to play WNYC, it will — but it won't then log that you switched off "Morning Edition" part way because you had to do the school run.
This new claim is counting on either blind ignorance, or what happens with streaming music instead of radio. If you ask for a specific track on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, or any other, they will log that you keep asking for Wham.
The reason for this claim coming right now, though, is presumably because the UK's Office of Communications (Ofcom) is shortly to publish regulations over smart speakers. The Designation of Radio Selection Services aims to require certain radio stations to be available over smart speakers.
The UK is trying to update radio regulations to the digital and streaming age — image credit: William Gallagher
As yet, it's not very clear what Ofcom wants. Its consultation document says that in 2026, it will introduce a Code of Practice about smart speaker manufacturers' "new duties under the Media Act" regarding the streaming of "UK broadcast radio service."
"We will also provide information for internet radio services... about how they can notify us that they wish to benefit from the new regime," it continues.
The Code of Practice is to be a way to enact 2024's Media Act, which aims to address "deficiencies in broadcasting legislation arising from the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union." It also sought to update existing broadcasting regulations to take into account smart speakers.
Right now, UK users can ask their HomePod to play at least most BBC radio stations, depending on how well Siri is listening. So Apple appears to be fulfilling the duties it will be required to.
The specifics of those duties will presumably follow in the forthcoming Code of Practice. But at present, it appears that they will include Apple and others giving voice access to any radio station that asks for it.
Smart speakers will also only be allowed to prefix streaming such a station with a brief announcement. So Siri can say "Here's BBC Radio 4," but can't direct listeners to Apple Music instead.
You know who does keep track of when you stop listening to a show, or what symphonies you listened to while you were logged in? Radio stations.