A recent viral image falsely claims that Apple is set to remove the clown emoji from iOS due to its alleged use as a far-right dog whistle. The image, purportedly showing a headline from CNBC, has been confirmed as a complete fabrication.
The bogus headline reads, "Upcoming Apple device update set to remove clown emoji: sources say emoji used as a Far-Right dog whistle," and it was said to have been posted by CNBC on May 15. This image quickly gained traction on social media platform X, with users sharing and commenting on the supposed news without verifying its authenticity.
However, according to Politifact, the headline is entirely fake. The image was doctored, using a real CNBC article about McDonald's posted on the same date to create a semblance of legitimacy. CNBC has confirmed that they never published any story about Apple removing the clown emoji.
The origins of the fake image can be traced back to a pro-Donald Trump message board, from where it was disseminated by a conservative X account. Although the original post was deleted, the false information had already spread widely.
Contrary to the claims in the image, the clown emoji is not considered a hate symbol and is not slated for removal by Apple. The company typically follows the guidelines set by The Unicode Consortium's Emoji Subcommittee (ESC), which oversees the addition, modification, and rare removal of emojis.
Apple has made changes to emojis in the past, such as modifying the dancer emoji and replacing the pistol emoji with a water gun. These changes are made based on broader cultural considerations and recommendations from the ESC, not unilaterally by Apple.
This incident underscores the importance of verifying news before sharing it. The viral nature of the fake headline demonstrates how quickly misinformation can spread, prompting unnecessary outrage and confusion.
In conclusion, the clown emoji is not being removed from iPhones, and the story circulating on social media is entirely false.
