Row over Palestine flag iPhone emoji
▶ IPHONE USERS have reported that after the iPhone’s latest software update, iOS 17.4.1, an emoji of the Palestinian flag appears when Jerusalem is typed into an emoji search.
The predictive text function allows users to select emojis that match the word they have typed. Most other capital cities do not prompt the keyboard to display national flags. The Palestinian flag appears in the English UK version of the latest keyboard update when Jerusalem is typed but allegedly is not visible on several other keyboards, including English US.
Countdown presenter Rachel Riley directed her concerns to Apple CEO Tim Cook in a post on X/Twitter last week that pointed out how national flags do not appear for a list of other capital cities.
“I’ve just upgraded my software..., and now, 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. Below is a (non-exhaustive) list of capital cities that do not offer their nation’s flags, let alone the wrong one. Double standards with respect to Israel is a form of antisemitism, which is itself a form of racism against Jewish people.” She asked Cook to explain “whether this is an intentional act by your company, or whether you have no control over rogue programmers”.