safari iconApple has removed a number of results from Siri Suggested Websites after BuzzFeed highlighted several examples of the feature offering up "debunked conspiracies, shock videos, and false information."

Siri Suggested Websites is an optional feature in Safari that serves up auto-completed suggestions based on what the user starts typing into the browser's search bar. Results are curated by Apple and can include links sourced from things like Wikipedia, YouTube, and the iTunes Store.

Basically, BuzzFeed News stoked controversy by pointing out that if users typed in, say, "Pizzagate," the Siri feature would return links to YouTube videos by conspiracy theorist peddler David Seaman. From the article:

"Such results raise questions about the company's ability to monitor for low-quality information, and provide another example of the problems platforms run into when relying on algorithms to police the internet."

Incidentally, the link didn't actually work because YouTube previously removed the video for violating YouTube's terms of service. So whichever way you look at it, Apple's algorithm-driven suggestions aren't doing their job very well.

BuzzFeed informed Apple of this and several other "low quality" Siri Suggestions highlighted in the article, and Apple has since removed them. The company also provided the site with the following statement:

"Siri Suggested Websites come from content on the web and we provide curation to help avoid inappropriate sites. We also remove any inappropriate suggestions whenever we become aware of them, as we have with these. We will continue to work to provide high-quality results and users can email results they feel are inappropriate to applebot@apple.com."

The questionable Siri Suggestions are reportedly caused by a "data void," which is what happens when a term doesn't have "natural informative results" and manipulators capitalize upon it. "Many of the sites surfaced by the Siri Suggested feature came from conspiracy or junk sites hastily assembled to fill that void," BuzzFeed concludes.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tag: Safari

Top Rated Comments

smokesletsgo Avatar
59 months ago
Apple can't solve the problem here, since there are far too many right-wing fake news sites to delete, literally millions of right-wing fake news sites, especially given that a lot of them are state funded by Russia and other enemies.

We really need a forceful and authoritarian government to end this harmful scourge, similar to what Europe does about Naziism. Pass a law banning them, similar to current libel laws, and arrest and imprison those that espouse fake news.

This will finally get rid of harmful people like the Pizza-gaters and Alex Jones at the societal level.

Remember, you don't have unlimited rights to free speech, regardless of what dumb teenage libertarians say.

Speech is limited in many, many ways, such as libel laws, copyright laws, "yelling fire in crowded theatres" etc..
What's harmfull is a lunatic calling for authoritarianism. Critical thinking, analysis, questioning things, thinking for yourself is THE WAY to dismiss "fake news", not some virtue signaling idiot at internet toilets like Buzzfeed calling for silencing and censorship, telling what's true and what's not. Are you an idiot? Do you need to be told what to read, what to think?
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
T-Bob Avatar
59 months ago
Apple can't solve the problem here, since there are far too many right-wing fake news sites to delete, literally millions of right-wing fake news sites, especially given that a lot of them are state funded by Russia and other enemies.

We really need a forceful and authoritarian government to end this harmful scourge, similar to what Europe does about Naziism. Pass a law banning them, similar to current libel laws, and arrest and imprison those that espouse fake news.

This will finally get rid of harmful people like the Pizza-gaters and Alex Jones at the societal level.

Remember, you don't have unlimited rights to free speech, regardless of what dumb teenage libertarians say.

Speech is limited in many, many ways, such as libel laws, copyright laws, "yelling fire in crowded theatres" etc..
Great idea, free speech is only meant to be free if you agree with it anyway, I think that's what Voltaire and others were thinking of. Just need some sort of inquisition like commission to decide on the acceptable standards and we're gold.

(yes this isn't serious)
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
err404 Avatar
59 months ago
I’m fine with filtering spam and fraud. My issue here is that even when users are intentionally looking for fringe information like “pizzagate”, they are be going to be denied results.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
miniyou64 Avatar
59 months ago
Low quality information? Buzzfeed is the definition of low quality information.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NufSaid Avatar
59 months ago
Those who want some speech blocked will one day wake up and find it will be their own.
[doublepost=1537973041][/doublepost]Wondering if Apple will block CNN and MSNBC (Left wing fake news sites) as well.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Porco Avatar
59 months ago
This isn’t any obstacle to free speech, in fact it’s entirely in support of it in a way - Apple’s free speech in choosing what not to suggest. We are still all free to search for whatever we like, there’s just certain things Apple doesn’t want Siri to suggest.

If you believe in free speech, I would presume you wouldn’t want others telling you what you must say any more than what you can’t say - so why should we be telling Apple what Siri must suggest?

When your/my/our government, which (in a democracy) represents the people bans searches across all means of searching - that is a free speech issue, both in terms of hearing it and expressing it.

When a private company we have chosen to buy products from chooses to not include certain suggestions in an already-curated selection - that is free speech in action. It is Apple being free to say what they want to suggest, and not being forced to suggest what they don’t want to.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 16

iOS 16.4 for iPhone Nearing Launch With These 5 New Features

Monday March 20, 2023 11:50 am PDT by
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April. iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...
apple park at night 1

Apple 'Tracking Employee Attendance' in Crackdown on Remote Working

Thursday March 23, 2023 3:41 am PDT by
Apple is tracking the attendance of its employees at offices using badge records in order to ensure they are coming in at least three times a week, according to Platformer's Zoë Schiffer. Since April 2022, Apple employees have been operating on a hybrid home/office work policy as part of a gradual return strategy following the pandemic, with staff required to work from the office at least...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Rumor Recap: 10 New Features and Changes to Expect

Thursday March 23, 2023 6:42 am PDT by
While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away from launching, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes have been rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular. Below, we have recapped 10 changes rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A1...
dynamic island

iPhone 15 Dynamic Island to Include New Integrated Proximity Sensor

Friday March 24, 2023 12:27 am PDT by
This year, all iPhone 15 models will include Apple's Dynamic Island that unifies the pill and hole cutouts at the top of the display, but there will also be a material change to the feature that wasn't included in the iPhone 14 Pro models. According to a new tweet by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the proximity sensor on the iPhone 15 series will be integrated inside the Dynamic Island ...
maxresdefault

Nothing Launches $149 Ear (2) Wireless Earbuds to Compete With AirPods Pro 2

Wednesday March 22, 2023 9:48 am PDT by
Nothing today announced the launch of its second-generation wireless earbuds, the Nothing Ear (2), which offer many of the same features as Apple's AirPods Pro 2 at a lower price point. We went hands-on with the Ear (2) earbuds to see whether they're a viable alternative to the AirPods Pro 2 for those who want to save some cash. The Ear (2) earbuds are the successor to the Nothing Ear (1),...
voice isolation

iOS 16.4 Adds Voice Isolation for Cellular Phone Calls

Tuesday March 21, 2023 11:01 am PDT by
The iOS 16.4 update that is set to be released to the public in the near future includes voice isolation for cellular calls, according to notes that Apple shared today. Apple says that Voice Isolation will prioritize your voice and block out the ambient noise around you, making for clearer phone calls where you can better hear the person you're chatting with and vice versa. Voice...
TMobile Sprint

Apple Stops Allowing Sprint iPhone Activations, Removes Sprint References From Online Store

Thursday March 23, 2023 12:06 pm PDT by
Apple is no longer allowing customers who purchase an iPhone, cellular iPad, or Apple Watch to activate a device with now-defunct mobile carrier Sprint. Apple has also removed remaining references to Sprint from its online store. When checking out with a new purchase, Sprint is no longer an option for connectivity, a change that Apple appears to have implemented today. Prior to now, Sprint...
airpodsd 3 purple 4

iOS 16.4 Seemingly References New AirPods and AirPods Case

Tuesday March 21, 2023 11:43 am PDT by
The iOS 16.4 release candidate version that was provided to developers today appears to hint at a new set of AirPods that could be coming in the near future. According to @aaronp613, the beta features references to AirPods that have a model number of A3048 and an AirPods case with a model number of A2968. There have been no rumors that new AirPods are on the horizon, and it is early for...