My name is Alexis Ong and I am a Chinese-American living in New York. While browsing iTunes for ringtones, I unexpectedly stumbled upon a genre of "funny Asian ringtones," featuring gong sounds, "Asian" music, and phrases like, "your phone linging." (because Asian people can't pronounce the "r" sound) 

I think I can safely speak on behalf of the entire Asian community when I say that these ringtones are blatantly and disgustingly racist. For just $1.29 on the iTunes store, you can purchase a ringtone featuring a stereotypically East Asian, Indian, or Mexican accent screaming racist statements at you to pick up your phone. 

From the AppStore review guidelines: "1.1.1 Defamatory, discriminatory, or mean-spirited content, including references or commentary about religion, race, sexual orientation, gender, national/ethnic origin, or other targeted groups, particularly if the app is likely to humiliate, intimidate, or harm a targeted individual or group."

From the "SUBMISSIONS TO OUR SERVICES" guidelines: "You may not use the Services to: post objectionable, offensive, unlawful, deceptive, inaccurate, or harmful content"

Apple claims that they reject offensive and racist content from their services and yet these ringtones exist and have somehow "passed" Apple's guidelines and have been deemed unoffensive. I have already reached out to Apple's customer service to report the ringtones and have heard nothing back.

In 2015, this exact issue was brought up through a separate Change.org petition. About 2300 people signed it and as a result, Apple "removed dozens of offending ringtones". And yet, here we are 5 years later, and these ringtones still very much exist on their store and they profit off of them. Clearly, Apple does not actually care about preventing ringtones like this from existing on their store, or else I wouldn't still be finding brand new ones in 2020.

It goes without saying that these ringtones have absolutely no place existing on the iTunes store. We demand that Apple remove these disgusting ringtones and all others like them from the iTunes store and VOW to do better in preventing ringtones like this to be created and offered for sale in the future.