In the high-stakes world of international politics, even the smallest digital miscue can spark an uproar. This is the case with Apple’s latest software update, iOS 17.4.1, which has inadvertently waded into the contentious issue of Middle Eastern politics. Users, including British television presenter Rachel Riley, have reported that typing “Jerusalem” on an iPhone keyboard suggests the Palestinian flag emoji, a glitch that the tech giant vows to fix in an upcoming software patch.
“[N]ow, when I type the capital of Israel, Jerusalem, I’m offered the Palestinian flag emoji. This didn’t occur on my phone immediately before this update,” Riley exposed in a post on X that quickly gained traction. The emoji’s appearance, which does not occur universally across all iPhone users, represents more than a simple bug. It touches a geopolitical nerve, as Jerusalem’s status is deeply disputed. The international community is divided, with Israel considering it its undivided capital, while the UN and others see East Jerusalem as part of Occupied Palestine.
Apple has acknowledged the issue, indicating that the emoji suggestion was unintentional and affirming plans to rectify it in a forthcoming iOS update. “The bug will be resolved in the next iOS update,” Apple stated. While the exact mechanics behind this predictive text fault remain unclear, it is thought to be connected to the machine-learning algorithms that analyze user input to offer emoji suggestions.
The discovery has heightened sensitivities around the representation of national symbols and the inadvertent political statements tech companies can make through their platforms. Riley, labeling the issue “antisemitism,” has demanded an explanation from Apple. “Showing double standards with respect to Israel is a form of antisemitism, which is itself a form of racism against Jewish people,” she stated.
This incident is not Apple’s first brush with geopolitical controversy. In 2019, Apple removed the Taiwan flag emoji from the keyboards of users in Hong Kong and Macau. That same year, Apple Maps started labeling Crimea as part of Russia, a decision later reversed for users outside of Russia following significant backlash.
Further examination by social media users found that the Palestinian flag emoji prompt was not consistent across all keyboard settings but appeared in specific regional keyboards, such as English UK, English Singapore, and English South Africa, hinting at the complexity of global tech operations.
Relevant articles:
– Apple says it’s fixing “bug” that prompts Palestinian flag emoji when typing “Jerusalem”
– Apple says Palestinian flag emoji recommendation when ‘Jerusalem’ is typed on iPhone will be fixed, Mashable, Thu, 11 Apr 2024 17:26:52 GMT
– The iPhone suggests a Palestinian flag when some people type ‘Jerusalem.’ Apple is working on a fix, CNN, Fri, 12 Apr 2024 18:27:00 GMT
– Apple to issue iPhone update over unintentional Palestinian flag emoji Jerusalem reference, iMore, Wed, 10 Apr 2024 16:07:46 GMT