Cryptocurrency exchange Binance launched a swastika-like hashflag then immediately scrapped it following criticism from Twitter users.
A hashflag is an emoji which appears alongside certain hashtags on Twitter.
The Binance emoji featured its distinctive diamond logo inside a golden square, with L-shaped arms emerging from the four sides.
The company said it was “embarrassed” that the design had passed through several layers of review without anyone noticing the resemblance to the emblem of Nazi Germany.
The swastika was a symbol of good fortune used in religions including Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism before Adolf Hitler’s fascist party adopted it and changed how it was viewed forever.
Binance, which deleted tweets featuring the offending hashflag – alongside CEO and founder Changpeng Zhao – said it is designing a new emoji.
Well that was obviously really embarrassing.
We’re not sure how that emoji got through several layers of review without anyone noticing, but we immediately flagged the issue, pulled it down, and the new emoji design is being rolled out as we speak.
— Binance (@binance) April 20, 2022