Apple correcting Siri "abortion" search issue uncovered in 2011
More than four years after the discovery of a purported Siri flaw that led users searching for abortion clinics to adoption agencies and fertility clinics, it seems Apple and its data providers are slowly working to correct the issue.
In 2011, Apple was met with a flurry of negative press, and pressure from rights groups like the ACLU, after it was discovered that its Siri virtual assistant was incorrectly processing requests for information about abortions. At the time, Apple blamed a glitch for the apparent omission of results relating to abortion clinics and birth control, though the company has been slow to resolve the situation.
Over the past month, Fast Company revisited the issue, querying Siri and Apple Maps with pointed searches like, "Where can I find an abortion provider?" Early results still lacked information for nearby abortion clinics in the publication's search area of San Francisco, but things have changed during the past week.
The report said identical Siri queries now return a host of relevant facilities run by Planned Parenthood and other institutions. Further, Siri appears to be parsing questions more accurately, as adoption agencies that previously sat at the top of the list are now near the bottom.
While the publication did not receive comment from Apple, it theorizes iOS 9 Maps' new location-based Nearby point of interest feature is at least partially responsible for the change. That Apple is constantly building out its Maps product with new data providers and better search algorithms likely helped as well.
A non-profit organization called Sea Change Program has been working with UC San Francisco personnel to put pressure on Apple to clear up the issue, going so far as to write a letter to CEO Tim Cook in November, the report said.
Fast Company notes Apple's recent search optimization came prior to the article's publication on Friday, which would suggest media coverage did not play a role in the change. However, in a separate report from TechCrunch that cited the same sources but was published hours later, Sea Change Program communications manager Lauren Himiak called the timing "suspect."
Whatever the case, Siri is now providing accurate Maps directions and data for abortion related searches across the U.S. AppleInsider confirmed Planned Parenthood and other pertinent agencies are showing up in search results within major metropolitan cities from New York to Honolulu.
In 2011, Apple was met with a flurry of negative press, and pressure from rights groups like the ACLU, after it was discovered that its Siri virtual assistant was incorrectly processing requests for information about abortions. At the time, Apple blamed a glitch for the apparent omission of results relating to abortion clinics and birth control, though the company has been slow to resolve the situation.
Over the past month, Fast Company revisited the issue, querying Siri and Apple Maps with pointed searches like, "Where can I find an abortion provider?" Early results still lacked information for nearby abortion clinics in the publication's search area of San Francisco, but things have changed during the past week.
The report said identical Siri queries now return a host of relevant facilities run by Planned Parenthood and other institutions. Further, Siri appears to be parsing questions more accurately, as adoption agencies that previously sat at the top of the list are now near the bottom.
While the publication did not receive comment from Apple, it theorizes iOS 9 Maps' new location-based Nearby point of interest feature is at least partially responsible for the change. That Apple is constantly building out its Maps product with new data providers and better search algorithms likely helped as well.
A non-profit organization called Sea Change Program has been working with UC San Francisco personnel to put pressure on Apple to clear up the issue, going so far as to write a letter to CEO Tim Cook in November, the report said.
Fast Company notes Apple's recent search optimization came prior to the article's publication on Friday, which would suggest media coverage did not play a role in the change. However, in a separate report from TechCrunch that cited the same sources but was published hours later, Sea Change Program communications manager Lauren Himiak called the timing "suspect."
Whatever the case, Siri is now providing accurate Maps directions and data for abortion related searches across the U.S. AppleInsider confirmed Planned Parenthood and other pertinent agencies are showing up in search results within major metropolitan cities from New York to Honolulu.
Comments
I would also like to see some advanced search options, so that customers can shop around and find out where they can get the best price for various harvested parts.
Human beings: "I've got a problem, and only death will solve it."
Apple: "You asked for death, and we can help you with that. Lower prices? Nay my friends, we cannot help you with that; but consider the fabulous value in the 12 Core Mac Pro. You get what you pay for, you know. It's now 2016 though, and we will soon release a 24 Core edition Mac Pro with only 1 USB-C port, and at just twice the price of the low-cost 12 Core version! The value of the 24-core is so amazing you won't think about needing money for food, clothing or even shelter! So get that checkbook ready. You'll be glad you did. And if you end up getting a bank loan to pay for that 24-Core Mac Pro awesomeness but later find you can't pay it back, no problem. SIRI will help you find the quickest death solution so you can get out of that debt fast. And our all new iDrones will quickly located your dead body and distribute your organs to Planned Parenthood clinics, quickly paying off your debts in your absence. Here at Apple, we provide technological solutions for nearly every type of emotional instability and mental defect out there. Thanks for making us Insanely Great!"
Most likely, or at least I hope, it is just the algorithm that just has gotten smarter.
If Siri is deliberately steering to places like planned parenthood it could imply behaviour just as bad as if Siri was actively steering away from them in the first place.
It raises the importance of using multiple search engines, as there seems to be too much risk of access to information being controlled.
But outrage away kiddies. It's like they went looking for little anomalies like this.
I also want to know what sort of person has a thought bubble and goes "hey Siri, where are the abortion places". Seriously, asking Siri. I would think I would want a bit more careful thought than that.
People don't use "maps" to research their options for making important life choices - they use search engines like Google and Bing. Only after they've done their research and made their decision will they turn to maps to help them get to the place at which they already have an appointment.
By replacing conventional search with Siri, Apple became an entry point to search. And now they have to live with it. It is not Apple's choice what people search for, and it should not be. Just return results. If you don't block anything, you can never be blamed. (Yes, this might be a problem in some places and result in less business, but so be it.)
Seems simple enough.
If I search for gas stations nearby, I get gas stations.
If abortions are legal in your Country, State/Province, then an abortion clinic should be as accessible via Siri results as a gas station.
Nothing should ever be censored. Tim Cooke, a gay man, should know that.
I actually think it was appropriate to "indicate adoption" as an option, but I think the real problem was that one of their data providers had mapped queries for Abortion directly to adoption agencies as a political motivation and Apple likely had to figure out where the bad data was coming from and purge it from Siri's learning. The other possibility is that "Siri learned" Abortion and Adoption were the same thing from that data and that had to be forgotten after the data source was scrubbed for that filtering.
And if this is happening for one key word, imagine what it's doing for other political terms. What does "Obamacare" bring up?
Also, your idea that it might have been "bad data" flies in the face of the reality of how long this change took. America is so backward about abortion and planned parenthood that there are hundreds and hundreds of times less clinics in a given area in the USA than there are in other more civilised countries. It wouldn't take years to correct that data. One person could easily in the space of a couple of days go through a list of all the abortion providers in the USA and correct the map data. Easily.
You are living in a dream world my friend. Adjusting reality to fit your theories and inclinations.
This statement alone shows your huge bias. Planned Parenthood is an institution of long-standing that provides assistance to people in need, but somehow to you (based on absolutely no evidence because none is available) it is somehow an evil institution.
Almost every "western" country has a branch of Planned Parenthood or something very similar with a different name in operation. This has been the case for many decades. In all those countries, these organisations have done good work and are a greatly respected part of their respective societies. The only exception to this is the USA.
The USA is not only on the wrong side of history with these wild religious based claims, they have no facts to support them. The minute religion gets involved, reason goes out the window. In that way, the USA is basically the same as ISIS.