Microsoft apologized Tuesday for using photo editing techniques to change the race of a person depicted on the company’s Web site.
In a photo on the company’s U.S. Web site, three businesspeople–one black, one white and one Asian are shown as part of a pitch for Microsoft’s business productivity software. In the same photo on the site of Microsoft’s Polish subsidiary, a white head is placed over the black person’s body, although the hand is not changed.
The move sparked controversy after it was noticed, quickly making the rounds on Twitter and various Web sites.
“We are looking into the details of this situation,” a Microsoft representative told CNET News. “We apologize and are in the process of pulling down the image” from the Polish site. Microsoft also apologized on its corporate Twitter feed.
Ha! Fucking idiots. As if nobody would notice. Were they afraid that racist old Poland wouldn’t be able to handle a black man in an advertisement? The doctored photo is funny. His head looks all squashed.
Hi BMD,
This is actually quite a regular industry practice.
I used to work for a big US localization company and it was common, when translating websites, to alter or replace the graphics to adapt to the local audience.
So, for example, if a site was being translated into Arabic or Urdu, then any attractive or ‘uncovered’ women would be airbrushed from the graphics.
Pink/Purple would not be accepted as font colours as they might be viewed as decadent in some markets.
If this site was aimed at an African audience, then it would make sense to show people of African appearance.
Microsoft fucked up on this cos they, or their vendor agency, were just too lazy to reshoot a photo in their Polish offices or buy some Polish clipart. I do wonder though what the debate was like about not airbrushing the Asian guy as well.
Hell, when I worked in MS, it was common for local employees to appear on their websites and Intranets. I wasn’t asked – it was usually only the sexy people…
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BN: That’s some very interesting information. I love how much these big companies wind themselves in knots trying to be as diverse and representative as possible. They should have pasted a watercooler on top of the Asian guy. It’s hard to believe that a behemoth like Microsoft were so careless in this instance.
Hey BMD,
The heads in the original shots look like they were PhotoShopped anyway. I am no big MS fan, but these look like Clipart photos that anyone can buy cheap licences for and then mess around with.
If any good thing can come out of this, perhaps PlayTV could make a 3 hour ‘Spot the difference’ show from it!
Knowing the industry, my guess is that the photo change was ordered by a senior manager in Microsoft’s Polish operations. My second guess is that he/she is now unemployed.
It’s funny really when you think about it. Imagine losing your job that way. Bye bye company car.