Technology
Huawei demotes employees for tweeting from iPhone
/https%3A%2F%2Fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fcard%2Fimage%2F912069%2F48be68f6-a7bc-4616-97f3-c9e4322f142d.jpg)
Image: LightRocket via Getty Images
2019-01-04 15:45:47 UTCChinese phone giant punished two employees for tweeting a New Year’s Day greeting from the company’s official Twitter account using an iPhone.
In an internal memo seen by , Huawei corporate senior vice president said “the incident caused damage to the Huawei brand.” As a result, two of the Chinese smartphone manufacturer’s employees were demoted one rank and received a monthly cut in pay of 5,000 yuan (approximately $728). One of the employees, Huawei’s digital marketing director, will also see their pay rank frozen for 12 months.
The tweet from iPhone incident occurred when the Huawei’s outsourced social media agency, Sapient, experienced virtual private network (VPN) problems with its desktop computer, according to the memo.
Twitter is blocked in China, making a VPN necessary to access the platform in the country. In order to send the New Year’s message at midnight, an iPhone with a roaming SIM card was used to send the tweet. The memo says that “the incident exposed flaws in our processes and management.”
Twitter had previously removed the source of a tweet from its website and mobile phone app, although some third-party applications still displayed the info. Just last month, however, the microblogging service brought tweet across the platform. Huawei’s tweet publicly displayed “Twitter from iPhone” below the message thanks to this recent Twitter change.
The “Twitter from iPhone” labelling was roundly mocked on social media. Huawei deleted its original New Year’s message and reposted it, this time with the source displaying “Twitter Media Studio.” The replies to the reposted tweet filled with users posting their screenshots of the “Twitter from iPhone” version.
From Huawei’s standpoint, the incident is surely embarrassing. Apple’s iPhone is a major competitor to Huawei’s line of smartphones. However, the response seems over the top, especially when you consider that it was devised as a workaround to deal with an unforeseen technical issue involving a outsourced company.
!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?
n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;
n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′;n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;
t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,
document,’script’,’https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’);
fbq(‘init’, ‘1453039084979896’);
if (window._geo == ‘GB’) {
fbq(‘init’, ‘322220058389212’);
}
if (window.mashKit) {
mashKit.gdpr.trackerFactory(function() {
fbq(‘track’, “PageView”);
}).render();
}
Zomato’s quick commerce unit Blinkit eclipses core food business in value, says Goldman Sachs
Monsta X’s I.M on making music, gaming, and being called ‘zaddy’
Petlibro’s new smart refrigerated wet food feeder is what your cat deserves
The books on your favorite creators’ TBR shelf
Xaira, an AI drug discovery startup, launches with a massive $1B, says it’s ‘ready’ to start developing drugs
Rabbit R1 hands-on review: Something is iffy about this
UK probes Amazon and Microsoft over AI partnerships with Mistral, Anthropic, and Inflection
‘Shōgun’ co-creators break down the finale: ‘It’s a story about death’
Tesla’s new growth plan is centered around mysterious cheaper models
Tesla’s in trouble. Is Elon Musk the problem?
API startup Noname Security nears $500M deal to sell itself to Akamai
US think tank Heritage Foundation hit by cyberattack
NASA discovered bacteria that wouldn’t die. Now it’s boosting sunscreen.
How to watch ‘Argylle’: When and where is it streaming?
Tesla drops prices, Meta confirms Llama 3 release, and Apple allows emulators in the App Store
Tesla layoffs hit high performers, some departments slashed, sources say
TechCrunch Mobility: Cruise robotaxis return and Ford’s BlueCruise comes under scrutiny
Meta to close Threads in Turkey to comply with injunction prohibiting data-sharing with Instagram
Former top SpaceX exec Tom Ochinero sets up new VC firm, filings reveal
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau fines BloomTech for false claims
Zomato’s quick commerce unit Blinkit eclipses core food business in value, says Goldman Sachs
Monsta X’s I.M on making music, gaming, and being called ‘zaddy’
Petlibro’s new smart refrigerated wet food feeder is what your cat deserves
The books on your favorite creators’ TBR shelf
Xaira, an AI drug discovery startup, launches with a massive $1B, says it’s ‘ready’ to start developing drugs
Rabbit R1 hands-on review: Something is iffy about this
UK probes Amazon and Microsoft over AI partnerships with Mistral, Anthropic, and Inflection
‘Shōgun’ co-creators break down the finale: ‘It’s a story about death’
Tesla’s new growth plan is centered around mysterious cheaper models
Tesla’s in trouble. Is Elon Musk the problem?
-
Business7 days agoLangdock raises $3M with General Catalyst to help businesses avoid vendor lock-in with LLMs
-
Entertainment6 days agoWhat Robert Durst did: Everything to know ahead of ‘The Jinx: Part 2’
-
Entertainment6 days agoThis nova is on the verge of exploding. You could see it any day now.
-
Business6 days agoIndia’s election overshadowed by the rise of online misinformation
-
Business6 days agoThis camera trades pictures for AI poetry
-
Business6 days agoCesiumAstro claims former exec spilled trade secrets to upstart competitor AnySignal
-
Business4 days agoTikTok Shop expands its secondhand luxury fashion offering to the UK
-
Business6 days agoBoston Dynamics unveils a new robot, controversy over MKBHD, and layoffs at Tesla
