AT&T removed a photo honoring the anniversary of 9/11 from its Twitter feed Wednesday after its followers accused the company of exploiting the tragedy to sell phones.
The tweet featured a smartphone user taking a photo of the Tribute in Light memorial, the two beams of light that rise up from where the Twin Towers once stood. A short message reading “Never Forget” accompanied the image.
The photo garnered 300 retweets, and a backlash quickly ensued. The Washington Post reported that many social media users reacted negatively to the image. The tweet was called “tacky,” “gross,” and even a “product placement.”
The firestorm of criticism continued on Facebook where the image was also posted and shared 400 times. Users again complained about unnecessary product placement, while other simply posted “Shame on you, AT&T.”
After only an hour, the telephone company removed the photo and tweeted an apology.
We apologize to anyone who felt our post was in poor taste. The image was solely meant to pay respect to those affected by the 9/11 tragedy.
— AT&T (@ATT) September 11, 2013
The apology posted on AT&T’s Facebook page already has over 3,000 likes. One of the post’s top comments reads, “I understood it. Some people are overly sensitive and quick to judge.”
Photo Courtesy of Chris Young via Flickr Creative Commons