China messenger app ‘WeChat’ sparks tensions with Stars and Stripes Martin Luther King Day 'civil rights' emoticon
Chinese tech firm Tencent been critisised for implementing a special emoticon in its WeChat app which bombarded users with Star Spangled Banner flags upon the entry of the word ‘civil rights’.
Flags would stream down the screen upon the entry of 'civil rights'
Falling emoticons appear upon the entry of keywords such as Happy Birthday, Miss You or XOXO on the app however politcal tensions were sparked by an emoticon designed to commemorate Martin Luther King Day.
The feature saw a stream of US flags appear whenever the word ‘civil rights’ is written in English - even by Chinese users. The South China Morning Post claims the gaffe has incurred the wrath of communist parties throughout the country. Weibo users lamented the inclusion of the US holiday - in the absence of many Chinese holiday emoticons.
The committee of the Communist Youth League in Fujian posted on Weibo: “[We] tried keywords like ‘National Day’, ‘China’, and ‘Five-Starred Red Flag’ but nothing happens.”
The company apologised on social network Weibo: “Please forgive us for any misunderstanding caused,” adding that the “commemorative [message] was only to open for US users”. The feature was supposed to be accessed only by users in the US but “due to some backstage errors, it has been made available to all WeChat users”.
Tencent ranks in the world’s top ten list largest digital media companies with revenues of $5.4bn in the first half of 2014, according to a report from consultancy Strategic Analysis.