Apple denies claims that Siri is anti-abortion

In a recent article put out by the BBC, several reports were put out by Apple customers who complained that Siri, the voice-activated assistant to the new Apple iPhone, failed to locate nearby abortion clinics.   Rights groups, such as NARAL (National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws) and internet bloggers made their concern known to Apple.

Siri can perform many tasks,
but cannot find an abortion clinic.

Apple soon after stepped onto the scene to squash such rumors that these omissions were intentional"  Apple spokeswoman, Natalie Kerris, told reporters, "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."


It is no surprise that Apple would want to cover its own tail in order to keep its consumer audience as large as possible as any business would, but the statement that really caught my attention was from Nancy Keenan, President of NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation.  Keenan said, "Thus, it is disappointing to read that a tool like Siri is missing the mark when it comes to providing information about such personal health issues as abortion care and contraception."  She later added, "Although Siri is not the principal resource for women's health care, I hope you agree that it is important that the women who are using this application not be misled about their pregnancy-related options."


Is someone truly being misled if they cannot find the nearest clinic to terminate their unborn child while on-the-go from their cell phone?  How has our society gotten to the point that finding an abortion clinic should be among the common tasks performed by a smart phone?