Misogynist Fruit

Friday 2 December 2011 - Filed under Uncategorized

Apple’s Siri is a symptom of society’s crusade against women’s health!

No one owns the Internet, and we tend to assume that no one can control it. But this issue with Siri does show how easily a piece of code can shape our choices by limiting or controlling our options. Siri is amazingly adept at finding what you’re looking for. Ask it for the nearest hardware store, reservations for two at your favorite Italian restaurant, where to buy Viagra, and presto — you’ve got names, maps and phone numbers. Yet the trusty little wizard suddenly gets amnesia when asked about birth control or abortion care.

While this may be nothing more than a programming glitch, it is a modern-day example of the historic struggle women have always faced in getting access to health care and health information. The episode underscores the importance of being vigilant about the availability of information and services, especially critical health information, as new technologies emerge.

Apple’s oversight, however innocent, highlights a threat that none of us should take lightly. The Internet can be a liberating force — it has largely eradicated the kind of censorship that once choked people’s reproductive rights.

But even as the old barriers fall, technology is erecting new ones that are less visible and more insidious. When search engines shape our knowledge of the world, their blind spots become our blind spots. And when they anticipate our needs — by automatically narrowing search results to reflect our past preferences and interests — they can replace open access with the illusion of open access. Tools that could lead us to new information and insight serve mainly to reinforce our biases.

Siriously?

2011-12-02  »  madlibertarianguy