Image of pigtailed Apple customer service employee upsets Chinese netizens
The Straits Times|September 20, 2023
Tech giant accused of cultural insensitivity, but others warn against hypersensitivity
Image of pigtailed Apple customer service employee upsets Chinese netizens

BEIJING - An image of a customer care employee sporting a "pigtail" on Apple's website has triggered outrage among Chinese netizens who accuse the tech giant of cultural insensitivity and insult.

The topic began trending on Sunday on Chinese microblogging site Weibo after a video singling out for attack the generic visual of an Apple Watch specialist, who appears to be Asian and is sporting a single braid, went viral on video-sharing site Bilibili.

The video incorrectly claimed that Apple assigns customer specialists with pigtails to service the Chinese market.

Some netizens were swift to blame the American tech company for taunting Chinese consumers, as the pigtail, or queue, was a symbol of repression during the Manchu-led Qing imperial rule.

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