Microsoft admitted to listening to audio messages from users of the Cortana voice assistant and Skype Translator. The statement was made after the Motherboard portal discovered the fact that the corporation hired contractors to wiretap Skype calls, Business Standard reported. 

After Motherboard found contractors to listen to audio messages from both services, including personal messages from Microsoft employees, the company updated its privacy policy. Under the new terms, Microsoft employees or contractors can listen to recordings made by Cortana and Skype Translator.

"We realised, based on questions raised recently, that we could do a better job specifying that humans sometimes review this content. We’ve updated our privacy statement and product FAQs to add greater clarity and will continue to examine further opportunities to improve," the spokesperson added.

“Our processing of personal data for these purposes includes both automated and manual (human) methods,” read Microsoft's privacy policy.

Facebook also hired contractors to transcribe users' voice messages. The company explained that the employees checked the decoding of voice messages made by the company's artificial intelligence. Users were not notified that their messages were viewed by other people, because, according to company representatives, they agreed by choosing a special option in the Messenger application.