Apple won't engrave an 'offensive' message on your new AirTag

[Shawn Knight]

What just happened? Apple’s long overdue AirTag trackers have finally been revealed. When they go on sale starting April 23, buyers will be able to personalize their trackers with a free engraving consisting of up to four numbers, letters and / or emoji. The customization option is live on Apple’s website and predictably, folks are already testing the waters to see what Apple will – and won’t – engrave on its new product.

As The Verge has discovered, Apple won’t allow the horse emoji followed by the poop emoji, but for some reason, the poop emoji followed by the horse emoji is acceptable.

Similarly, most common four-letter “dirty” words that you can think of are also off limits. You can tinker around with the personalization option over on Apple’s website; just select AirTag then Add engraving.

Apple’s new AirTag tracker starts at $29 individually, or $99 for a pack of four. They’re compatible with most newer iDevices running iOS 14.5 / iPadOS 14.5 or later.

Samsung earlier this year launched its own tracker. The $30 Samsung Galaxy SmartTag is similar in functionality to Tile’s offering, but only works with Galaxy phones. A couple of weeks back, Samsung added a new model to the mix, the SmartTag+, that utilizes ultra-wideband technology to help with tracking, for an additional $10.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/89399-apple-wont-engrave-offensive-message-new-airtag.html

 

[m4a4]

Just get it laser engraved by a 3rd party (after that market shows up). Then you can put a on it just to spite them lol

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Thank you apple for being our moral guardians. Lord only knows we cant have any fun that might OFFEND someone in the bay area on our personal devices, no no no!

"Apple won’t allow the horse emoji followed by the poop emoji, but for some reason, the poop emoji followed by the horse emoji is acceptable."

I mean that isnt very hard to figure out......

 

[envirovore]

I imagine the internal convo went something like:

"A walled garden for app use isn't enough, we need to wall in what users want written on the things they've paid to use as well, because we know better than them what they want."

Who is Apple to determine what's considered offensive? What offends sheltered little Susie may not offend Ricky over there that works in a warehouse and regularly hears worse than what you could fit into 4 characters.

 

[envirovore]

Thank you apple for being our moral guardians. Lord only knows we cant have any fun that might OFFEND someone in the bay area on our personal devices, no no no!

"Apple won’t allow the horse emoji followed by the poop emoji, but for some reason, the poop emoji followed by the horse emoji is acceptable."

I mean that isnt very hard to figure out......

Fwiw, "sh*t horse!" is a far more amusing exclamation than the standard version.

 

[TheBigT42]

Please define what is "offensive"
To whom it is offensive?
What is the minimum people offended by an engraving before they won't do it?
Do they take an Internet poll?
Is there an independent board that checks each message to make sure it doesn't offend anyone?
What if an engraving isn't offensive in 2021 but becomes offensive in 2025? Do they buy back the device?

 

[terzaerian]

Please define what is "offensive"
To whom it is offensive?
What is the minimum people offended by an engraving before they won't do it?
Do they take an Internet poll?
Is there an independent board that checks each message to make sure it doesn't offend anyone?
What if an engraving isn't offensive in 2021 but becomes offensive in 2025? Do they buy back the device?

No, they just report you to the Global Commission on Truth and Reconciliation for racist thought and get your UBI, legacy bank accounts, and Amazon Prime+Express memberships frozen, effectively turning you into a nonperson. Should have bought some BTC when it was still below $430,000/¥2.1 million. Now you'll be sport for the hordes of fentanyl zomboids howling at the gate of the citadel.

 

[Nobina]

You can avoid this as any language filter by being creative with your words.

 

[CommonSenseTech]

Thank you apple for being our moral guardians. Lord only knows we cant have any fun that might OFFEND someone in the bay area on our personal devices, no no no!

"Apple won’t allow the horse emoji followed by the poop emoji, but for some reason, the poop emoji followed by the horse emoji is acceptable."

I mean that isnt very hard to figure out......

I’m sure you cancelled a few thousand dollars worth of orders with the Apple Store over this.

 

[CommonSenseTech]

Please define what is "offensive”

Why that’s easy. Whatever offends the leader of your collective. That’s how one can simultaneously get the Dixie Chicks thrown off the radio and out of stores, ban LGBT and atheist members from the Boy Scouts, fire employees who use birth control, and then decry All This Cancel Culture when Facebook doesn’t allow one to post “ironic” Nazi memes.

Free association and the right to say no is only for my collective; anyone who doesn’t wish to associate with me is of course a censorious cancel culture warrior.

Hope that cleared things up.

 

[captaincranky]

News Flash: In my case, they'll never have to.

 

[DelJo63]

IMO the entire thread is offensive -- get a life