Siri is marketed as a personal assistant and an information machine. If you have a question, Siri is supposed to have the answer, and that answer is expected to be as accurate as possible. On the other hand, we've seen the high profile cases where Apple changed the answer, when it didn't like the results, most notably to the question "What is the best smartphone?" Originally, Siri gave the answer based on reviews found online, and returned the answer: the Nokia Lumia 900. Then, Apple changed the answer.
Now, if you do a search for the best smartphone, tablet, or computer, you don't get a real answer based on real information found online. Instead, you get an "advertising" answer which points you towards more Apple products. We've seen before that Apple has been sued for "false advertising" over the Siri commercials, but now Apple is also being sued because of these sponsored answers (which are only answers sponsored by Apple).
Sean DeVries is bringing the lawsuit against Apple, but he doesn't expect to really change the functionality of Siri. Sean is hoping to force Apple be more open about the fact that these answers have been modified, and definitely doesn't think that the lawsuit will make Apple change its ways and be information agnostic like Google. Sure, Google isn't perfect. If you search for "Maps", Google Maps will come up first, but if you search "best online maps" or "best smartphone os", you won't see Google links, but rather links to the actual information you're looking for.
This is an interesting case. We kind of wish Sean had higher aims for the outcome, but we'll be watching to see what happens. The court date is set for October 9th.
Michael Heller is known for his clear and informative articles on mobile technology. He explores important topics such as the rollouts of 5G networks and the advancements in mobile payments, offering readers insights into the evolving tech landscape.
Recommended Stories
Loading Comments...
COMMENT
All comments need to comply with our
Community Guidelines
Phonearena comments rules
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: