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Telling Siri this command calls 9-1-1

By
Claire Groden
Claire Groden
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By
Claire Groden
Claire Groden
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July 16, 2015, 12:08 PM ET
Undetectable Commands For Siri and Alexa Raise Serious Security Risks
A customer tries the Siri voice assistant function on an Apple Inc. iPhone 5 at a Telstra Corp. store on George Street in Sydney, Australia, on Friday, Sept. 21, 2012. Apple Inc. is poised for a record iPhone 5 debut and may not be able to keep up with demand as customers line up from Sydney to New York to pick up the latest model of its top-selling product. The device hits stores in eight countries today at 8 a.m. local time, giving customers in Australia the first chance to buy the device. PhotographerPhotograph by Ian Waldie — Bloomberg via Getty Images

Next time you want to charge your phone, don’t tell Siri to do it. Firstly, Siri can’t plug in your phone charger for you, no matter how far the outlet is from your couch. And secondly, telling Siri “charge my phone 100%” prompts the phone to call emergency services.

Some conspiracy theorists have guessed that the command gives iPhone users a way to call 911 without tipping off those within earshot–a capability that could be useful in emergency situations. But what’s more likely is that Siri is just responding to the keywords in the command. The Daily Dot noted that Siri also places the emergency call in response to the command “Phone 100” and “Phone 110.” Those are the emergency numbers in India and China, The Daily Dot said.

We’ve reached out to Apple (AAPL) for further clarification, but for now, it looks like the feature isn’t a secret kidnap-rescue command.

 

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By Claire Groden
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