Skip to main content

Siri is not pro-life on purpose, says Apple

Siri-iPhone-4S-Assistant
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Siri, Apple’s voice-controlled artificial intelligence app on the iPhone 4S, was not intentionally programmed to block access to abortion clinics, a company spokeswoman told The New York Times. Instead, the exclusion of abortion- and women’s health-related search results retrieved through Siri is simply the result of the product still being in ‘beta’ mode.

“Our customers want to use Siri to find out all types of information, and while it can find a lot, it doesn’t always find what you want,” said Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris. “These are not intentional omissions meant to offend anyone. It simply means that as we bring Siri from beta to a final product, we find places where we can do better, and we will in the coming weeks.”

The clarification comes after a number of bloggers noticed that Siri would not automatically find abortion clinics. Some speculated that this was due to Apple itself taking a position on the everlasting debate on a woman’s right to choose — or lack thereof.

After the news surfaced, pro-choice organizations pounced on Apple. For instance, the American Civil Liberties Union launched an online campaign asking pro-choice supporters to contact Apple with a pre-made letter that reads:

I was distressed to hear that Siri, the voice activated personal assistant on the new iPhone 4S, can tell users where to find Viagra and burgers and even escort services, but cannot direct users to resources where they can access information about birth control or abortion care. Just as troubling, Siri not only doesn’t provide information about abortion providers, but instead directs women to pregnancy crisis centers. These businesses not only do not provide or refer for abortion care, but are notorious for providing false and misleading information about abortion to women.

I am aware that Siri is still in beta, which suggests that you can fix this problem in future versions. I urge you to correct this glitch, so Siri provides the same service to women seeking information about vital reproductive health care services as to users seeking Viagra, burgers, and other services.

This issue is important to me. Please address this right away.

It is not yet clear whether the way in which Apple addressed the issue so far will calm their outrage.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Andrew Couts
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…
I’ve had the iPhone 15 Pro Max for 48 hours. Here are 3 things you need to know
Someone holding the Natural Titanium iPhone 15 Pro Max.

It's finally here, folks: new iPhone season. Apple's iPhone 15 event wrapped up over a week ago, the first iPhone 15 reviews are trickling out, and it won't be that long before you start seeing the new lineup in every Best Buy and Target you go to.

My iPhone 15 Pro Max arrived on September 20, and at the time of publishing this, I've been using it for just about 48 hours. That's obviously not enough time for a full review, but during that limited amount of time, I've already learned some really important things about Apple's latest entry in the Pro Max family. It's very familiar in a lot of ways, but there are three specific changes that could make it a more worthwhile upgrade than expected — and I'm not talking about USB-C.
Titanium is a game-changer for the iPhone

Read more
I’m going to do something crazy with my iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 15 Pro USB-C charging port.

I’m going to make a controversial suggestion: Don’t put your iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max in a case — use it naked instead.

I know it’ll go against everything we’ve learned about smartphones (usually the hard way) and how to protect them, but there are some really fascinating changes to Apple’s top smartphones this year, and not feeling them with your own hands would be a crime.
Titanium really is a big deal

Read more
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: best $1,200 phone?
Renders of the iPhone 15 Pro Max next to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is one of the best smartphones of 2023. It’s one of our favorite phones to carry because of the versatile camera system, good battery life, and excellent display.

But there’s a new challenger in town – the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The new Apple iPhone brings better optical zoom capabilities to challenge the Galaxy S23 Ultra. It’s also got a design update with build materials that are solid for long-term use. Here’s how the iPhone 15 Pro Max compares to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, based on everything we know so far.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S23 Ultra: specs

Read more