Fake screenshot and clown emoticon
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A viral image claims Apple is removing the clown emoji from iOS for political reasons. The image in question is a complete fabrication and Apple is doing no such thing.
Images posted on X show a headline from CNBC that reads: “Apple's upcoming device update will remove clown emoji: Sources say emoji is being used as far-right dog whistle.” The image adds that the story was originally published on May 15 in the Technology category.
Because of the absurdity of Apple removing one emoji for unspecified political reasons, and perhaps because it was framed, the image quickly went viral. Some X users were quick to share the image with others, leaving only a comment on the caption itself.
However, the image itself is a lie. According to Politifact, the screenshot shows a completely fictitious headline.
Most of the image is real: the time of publication and the author correspond to a story about McDonald's published at that time. CNBC also confirmed that the clown emoji story was never published in the news.
Researchers believe the first version of the fake news image was posted on a pro-Donald Trump message board and then shared by conservative account X. The X account in question at least deleted the post, but not before other X users picked up the mantle.
Although the clown emoji can be used to mock others, it is not currently considered a symbol of hate in itself.
Given the enormous attention the fake headline has received in a short period of time, it offers an important lesson. Many people may still get angry over a headline without checking the actual story, despite years of “fake news” prompting internet users to be more proactive in checking the veracity of the story.
In short, Apple hasn't said that the clown emoji is a problem and won't remove them from your iPhone.
Selecting and changing emoji
For the most part, emoji are enabled on iPhone, and most changes to it are handled by the Unicode Consortium and its Unicode Emoji Subcommittee. ESC is a group that supports emojis, including adding and deleting them.
The ESC is also responsible for codifying the standards that vendors like Apple must follow when it comes to emoji. This includes how they are portrayed, how complex the emoji's functions are, and their removal in rare cases.
Although Apple is the target of X users' ire over a fake screenshot, the iPhone maker won't change the existence of the clown emoji. Instead, he listens to ESC's instructions on what he should do with the emoji.
Although Apple won't be removing the clown emoji anytime soon, it has made some changes in the past. This includes a dancer emoji, as well as replacing the pistol with a water pistol.
A British schoolboy also asked Apple to fix and rename the “nerd” emoji because, according to him, it makes a bad impression on those who wear glasses.
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