Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just kidding. I'm white! [View all]

[HipChick]

Barry Diller's IAC has issued a statement saying that it is "taking appropriate action" after a comment posted on the Twitter account of its corporate communications officer incited ridicule on social media.

On Friday, the account of IAC's Justine Sacco sent the following tweet.

Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just kidding. I'm white!

— Justine Sacco (@JustineSacco) December 20, 2013

The tweet was deleted shortly before 7 a.m. Cape Town time (roughly the time her flight from London was scheduled to land), and her entire account was deleted shortly after. Sacco has also been removed from IAC's contacts page, where it formerly listed her as the contact for reporter inquiries.


Her tweet was subsequently picked up on Valleywag and widely circulated on Twitter. The IAC communications office issued a response, noting that Sacco was currently on a flight.

"This is an outrageous, offensive comment that does not reflect the views and values of IAC," a statement to THR read. "Unfortunately, the employee in question is unreachable on an international flight, but this is a very serious matter, and we are taking appropriate action."

IAC, a media company, houses digital brands that include The Daily Beast, About.com, Match.com and Ask.com. It also owns BlackPeopleMeet.com, a dating website catering to African Americans.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2527330/Blonde-female-PR-executive-tweets-Going-Africa-Hope-I-dont-AIDS-Just-kidding-Im-white-causes-international-outrage-likely-fired.html