Quote:In an ideal world, I wouldn’t have had to write a story about how Apple’s adult content filter on iOS blocks users from searching the word “Asian” in any browser. In that world, I also wouldn’t have to write the follow-up the issue is now fixed, but that the timing—shortly after a mass shooting in Atlanta that left eight people dead, six of whom were Asian women—is deeply problematic.

According to Mashable, the latest iOS 14.5 beta removes the “Asian” filter. Gizmodo has independently confirmed that this is the case. This is objectively a good thing. What’s not good is that this issue, according to Mashable, was reported to Apple on Dec. 7, 2019 by iOS developer Steven Shen. After more than a year of inaction, Shen took to Twitter in early February to raise public awareness of the issue, which Gizmodo and other news media covered. Gizmodo’s requests to Apple at the time for a statement went unanswered. Shen also reportedly told Mashable while Apple never officially responded to his initial warning, an Apple employee did verify the problem on Twitter and “filed the issue internally.”