Apple's 'adult filter' setting stop users from searching for the word 'Asian'.
The iOS14 operating system allows iPhone users to use the 'screen time' section to restrict access to adult sites, giving three options: 'unrestricted access', 'limit adult websites' and 'allowed websites only'.
However, one user has pointed out that while it stops people from being able to access pornographic or adult content, it also prohibits customers from searching the term 'Asian' in the URL - including terms such as 'Asian food'.
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If you try and search for it, you are met with a message, which reads: "You cannot browse this page at 'google.co.uk' because it is restricted."
This is not the same, though when the search is narrowed down to 'Indian food' or 'Japanese cities', for example.
Criticising Apple over the bizarre restriction, Steven Shen wrote on Twitter: "On iOS, if you turn on 'Limit Adult Website' under Screen Time > Content Restrictions, Safari blocks any website URL containing the word 'Asian'. Seriously, go try it, it's unbelievable. I filed a [report with Apple] a long time ago. Nothing changed."
Mr Shen then told the Independent he didn't think it was done intentionally, but urged Apple to fix the problem quickly.
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He said: "I think it's unlikely someone intentionally hard coded this. Probably the result of AI. Similar to how facial recognition has trouble working on people with darker skin tones.
"Apple's bug tracking is perhaps quite notorious in the Apple developer community. Most of the feedback we filed seemingly go into a blackhole. I wish they fixed it sooner."
Kate Isaacs is the founder of NotYourPorn, an organisation that tries to raise awareness of injustices in the pornography industry.
She told the publication she was disgusted by the stereotype the system appears to be sharing.
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She said: "It's abhorrent that the word 'Asian' makes us think of porn rather than representing an entire group of people.
"The fetishisation of Asian people - particularly young girls and women - is fundamentally sexist and racist."
LADbible has contacted Apple for a comment.
Last month, Apple urged customers who hadn't done already to download the latest system update now.
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The tech giant revealed its security systems 'may have been actively exploited' and the new iOS 14.4 software will help protect users from attack.
In a post to its support page, Apple said the company had identified three security flaws, but it could 'not disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues until an investigation has occurred and patches or releases are available'.
According to the company, two of the three flaws identified were found in WebKit, an open-source browser engine that is used by Safari. It's understood the bugs found allow hackers to 'cause arbitrary code execution'.
A third was found in Kernel, which is part of Apple's operating software framework.
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