KFC apologizes for app alert urging orders for Kristallnacht

BERLIN (AP) — KFC has apologized for accidentally sending an automated push alert to its app users in Germany that appeared to urge people to order food to commemorate the 84th anniversary of Kristallnacht — the “Night of Broken Glass” — when Nazis terrorized Jews throughout Germany and Austria.

The company faced an outcry for the alert that went out Wednesday at a time when Jewish groups are warning of rising antisemitism. According to screenshots shared online, the app alert said, “Memorial day for the Reich pogrom night. Treat yourself to more tender cheese on your crispy chicken. Now at KFCheese!”

KFC Germany said the notification was an “unplanned, insensitive and unacceptable message and for this we sincerely apologize."

“We use a semi-automated content creation process linked to calendars that include national observances. In this instance, our internal review process was not properly followed, resulting in a non-approved notification being shared," the company said in a statement Thursday.

The chicken chain says it's halted app communications and is reviewing its policies to avoid similar notifications in the future, adding that “we understand and respect the gravity and history of this day, and remain committed to equity, inclusion and belonging for all."

The notification led to outcry from Jewish groups, with Dalia Grinfeld, associate director of European affairs at the Anti-Defamation League, tweeting in German: “How wrong can you get on Reich pogrom night, @KFCDeutschland (@kfc)?! Shame on you!”

The alert came on the anniversary of Nov. 9, 1938, when the Nazis, among them many ordinary Germans, killed at least 91 people and vandalized 7,500 Jewish businesses during Kristallnacht pogroms across Germany and Austria. They also burned more than 1,400...