Photo Showing People Who Sold Their Kidneys for iPhone 14 Is Satirical
The Claim
A photo shows three people with blood-stained bandages on their abdomens after they sold their kidneys to buy the new iPhone 14.
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Emerging story
A photo purporting to show three people with blood-stained bandages on their abdomens after they sold their kidneys to buy the new iPhone 14 has gone viral on social media.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the viral photo and found the claim to be satirical.
A beauty clinic in Laos, Dr. Nith Beauty Center, Vientiane, first posted the photo. Although the photo began circulating, with many people believing it to be real, it turned out that it was a marketing ploy for the clinic.
The beauty center deleted the photo, which was first shared as a satirical joke.
The Thai Red Cross Condemned the Photo
Sophon Mekthon, the managing director of the Organ Donation Centre denounced the image as unethical and improper and warned viewers that organ selling is prohibited in Thailand.
“It’s inappropriate that organ trading is promoted, especially to exchange one for money to buy an iPhone. It’s immoral and unethical,” Sophon Mekthon said.
Thailand Is One of the First Countries to Receive the iPhone 14
"Our customers rely on their iPhone every day, and iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus introduce ground-breaking new technologies and important safety capabilities. With the new, larger 6.7-inch display on iPhone 14 Plus, users can enjoy more content onscreen when browsing the web and even more text," said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
In Thailand, pre-orders for the most recent iPhone began in the second week of September 2022. It costs well over the equivalent of £1,500, whilst the average monthly wage is under £350.
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