Apple keeps political phrases like dictator Trump from iOS autocomplete suggestions
A researcher revealed that Apple maintains a secret list of over 100,000 words and phrases blocked from its iOS keyboard autocomplete feature.
Scope of the hidden blocklist
Independent researcher Derik Kauffman discovered the undisclosed multilingual grey list contains tens of thousands of entries. The list includes offensive terms related to drugs, sex, and violence alongside politically salient phrases. Users can still type these words manually, but the keyboard will not suggest them via swipe or autocomplete.
Specific political examples found
The flagged entries include expressions such as dictator Trump, sleepy Joe, and covid is a hoax. Some less controversial phrases like Santa isn't real also appear on the restricted list. Kauffman noted discrepancies where similar phrases were treated differently depending on their specific wording.
Apple response to findings
The company stated that iPhone users always have the option to type specific words or override suggestions. Apple did not comment directly on the size or composition of its internal list. The researcher used tools from OpenAI and Anthropic to locate the data deep within the operating system.
All 2 outlets report consistently
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- Dawn
- The Verge
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