ACLU raps Apple: Put abortion info on iPhone
When asked, iPhone 4S virtual assistant Siri isn't able to find abortion clinics. Apple says the omission wasn't intentional.
December 1st, 2011
12:55 PM ET

ACLU raps Apple: Put abortion info on iPhone

Siri can help you find drugstores and bars, but the iPhone 4S digital assistant is clueless when it comes to the locations of abortion clinics, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

The advocacy group this week launched an online petition asking people to send e-mails to Apple saying that "if Siri can tell us about Viagra, it should not provide bad or no information about contraceptives or abortion care. Send a message to Apple: Fix Siri."

"Although it isn't clear that Apple is intentionally trying to promote an anti-choice agenda, it is distressing that Siri can point you to Viagra, but not the Pill, or help you find an escort, but not an abortion clinic," the group wrote in a blog post Wednesday. "We're confident that the developers at Apple want to provide iPhone users with accurate information."

Apple said Thursday the omission was not intentional:

"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," Apple spokeswoman Natalie Harrison said. "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."

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soundoff (37 Responses)
  1. Sheila

    Bull. If Siri can hear "Irish bar" and find nearby Irish bars, or "Indian market" and find an Indian market, Siri can find "Abortion Clinic." It just does an Internet search and mapping. It's been blocked.

    December 1, 2011 at 6:39 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Mmmmm

    ...you baby-killing, turtle egg lovers never ceases to amaze...

    December 1, 2011 at 9:13 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Mmmmm

    ...next yah wanna to find your nearest crack houses...

    December 1, 2011 at 9:15 pm | Report abuse |
    • Carl

      Learn to write, you moron.

      December 5, 2011 at 10:10 pm | Report abuse |
  4. fernace

    Siri is probably still in the "getting the kinks out" stage! Having said that, it's disturbing that Siri can lead a man to an escort service & where to get Viagra, but womens services are missing! It's a symptom of a bigger problem that causes poiticians who tout "smaller government" to want to legislate what a woman can do with her own uterus! Talk about government intrusion, & why arent they legislating mens tes.tic.les? The man is the "invisible other half" in a pregnancy, but is never discussed! Women can't get insurance coverage for birthcontrol, but the same insurance companies are more than happy to help men pay for Viagra, which the smart phone is equally happy to point the man in the right direction to find! I'm glad ACLU pointed out this oversight! To pro-life people I can only say you have a right to Your opinion & choice, why do you want to prevent me from having My opinion & choice!?My pregnancy & fetus has nothing to do with your lives or choices! Lets keep it that way!!

    December 1, 2011 at 9:35 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Sam

    Yep just what we need in this nation is more unwanted children. Abused starved and un-loved. Don't want an abortion don't have one but I believe that a woman has rights. It is her body and should be able to decide what happens to it and her egg. There are so many children in the USA that are in children homes but people go over seas to adopt. Don't get that one. Let me say again – a loved baby is so special but an unwanted unloved child is a tragedy that does not have to happen. Shame on Siri.

    December 1, 2011 at 10:42 pm | Report abuse |
  6. @Mmmmm

    And you're inherent meanness never ceases to amaze, either!
    You are a classic missanthropist. You need to lock yourself I a room with like-minded people and just gripe yourselves to death.

    December 1, 2011 at 11:20 pm | Report abuse |
    • Mmmmm

      Ooooooh....but it just soooooomuch better doing it while bloggin'...

      December 2, 2011 at 8:17 pm | Report abuse |
  7. @Loved

    No, I thonk I want your address so you can take me in, pay my expenses, and raise my baby. No?
    Then s t f u.

    December 1, 2011 at 11:23 pm | Report abuse |
  8. tif31

    ?

    December 2, 2011 at 12:13 am | Report abuse |
  9. RR-NYC

    What kind of nonsense is this? Maybe if you searched planned parenthood something might come up. Almost all in NYC come up as ____ OB/GYN & Women's Center.

    December 2, 2011 at 10:24 am | Report abuse |
  10. Lwg

    I got her prego because siri told me to

    December 2, 2011 at 10:39 am | Report abuse |
  11. Jules

    This is about the only thing the ACLU and I agree on!

    December 2, 2011 at 12:18 pm | Report abuse |
  12. Ryan Lowry

    A robotic device with no heart or sense of reality doesn't agree with abortion... Oh wait, doesn't that sound like an American political party?

    December 2, 2011 at 12:45 pm | Report abuse |
  13. robert

    This is what usually ends up happening when one relies too much on AI. We at http://www.rentasmile.com continue to believe that a human based VA can help to significantly add value in making life easier and Siri does not even come close.

    December 4, 2011 at 7:02 am | Report abuse |
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