It can definitely be used misleadingly, but it's not too out of line with normal scientific usage of the term. The "significant" in "significant figures" is the

It can definitely be used misleadingly, but it's not too out of line with normal scientific usage of the term. The "significant" in "significant figures" is the same: if a number has "11 significant figures", it doesn't mean the 11th digit is significant in the sense of being important or having a big impact, just that the 11th digit is within the measurement precision (as propagated through any subsequent calculations).