iPhone glitch shows Palestinian flag emoji when users type 'Jerusalem'
Apple is currently under fire for its updated predictive emoji feature. The controversy arose when iPhone users noticed that typing "Jerusalem" automatically suggested the Palestinian flag emoji. This has sparked an online debate due to the ongoing territorial dispute between Israel and Palestine over Jerusalem. Jewish TV presenter Rachel Riley highlighted the issue on social media, noting that other capital cities did not prompt suggestions for national flags, indicating a potential bias.
Riley calls out Apple's emoji suggestion
Riley voiced her concerns on social media platform X, demanding an explanation from Apple. She stated, "Showing double standards with respect to Israel is a form of antisemitism." The release notes for the latest iOS update mentioned "new emojis," but did not detail any changes concerning national flags. This incident has added fuel to the debate over Jerusalem's status in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Apple responds to emoji controversy
In response to the backlash, Apple has clarified that the predictive emoji suggestion was not a deliberate change. The tech giant explained to the BBC that the issue is linked to its predictive emoji feature, which offers emoji suggestions as users type in messages and other applications. Apple has pledged to address it in an upcoming software update, although no specific timeline for this fix has been provided yet.
Israel-Palestinian conflict has tech giants caught in crossfire
The issue of Jerusalem's status stands as a contentious matter in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinians. Israel maintains Jerusalem as its undivided and eternal capital, while Palestinians assert the eastern part as the capital of their envisioned future state. Instances of major tech companies being entangled in the acrimonious Israel-Palestinian conflict are not unprecedented. Last year, Meta faced backlash following a glitch that added "terrorist" to the biographies of certain Instagram users identifying themselves as Palestinian.
