Apple's Siri Connecting Users With Police For Asking About 9/11
Recent posts on Facebook, Twitter, and in other social media hubs have suggested that iPhone users looking for a spark of entertainment should ask Siri about the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Instead of hilarity and smiles all around, however (as if someone could find any kind of glee in the subject, anyway), those opting to engage Siri in such a request are finding themselves quickly connected to 911 emergency services.
Specifically, the Regina police advisory states that the Siri-enabled prank does not end with a mortified hangup. 911 communications officers are trained to call back on hangups to discern whether there is a true emergency afoot, and the routine for trying to re-establish contact can involve several attempts...attempts that can tie up resources that might otherwise be needed to deal with real emergency situations. The advisory goes so far, in fact, as to to suggest that criminal charges can result should any errant 911 call mislead the police and cause them to open an investigation.
The Regina police advisory ends with "Please, choose to be a good citizen and don’t ask Siri about 9/11.”, which is no doubt good advice regardless of one's proximity to central Canada.