We've all seen the memes of the Duolingo Owl, the language app mascot whose reminders to practice learning your Spanish sometimes come off as vaguely threatening.
One keen-eyed X user noticed the app took a not-too-subtle dig at author J.K. Rowling, and posted about it on X:
A story in 4 parts.
— Sukey Deutschkron 🎗️💚🤍💜 (@e1duchess) August 20, 2025
First, I saw this post about Duolingo’s nasty little dig at JK Rowling. pic.twitter.com/rOF09MXiIl
That's part one.
'Yes, I like Harry Potter but the author is mean.'
No, she's not. She's honest.
So I sent a message to @duolingo , attaching screenshots. I explained that it was inappropriate for them to have a personal opinion about someone when they have never done that before.
— Sukey Deutschkron 🎗️💚🤍💜 (@e1duchess) August 20, 2025
This writer used Duolingo to learn some Greek for her recent summer trip and didn't see anything personal like that.
I received this reply. pic.twitter.com/1aFjG5N5sP
— Sukey Deutschkron 🎗️💚🤍💜 (@e1duchess) August 20, 2025
That's pretty lame, Duolingo.
And then, to make matters even worse, I received this bizarrely personal notification.
— Sukey Deutschkron 🎗️💚🤍💜 (@e1duchess) August 20, 2025
What the heck is going on @duolingo ? Are you entirely staffed by a bunch of immature interns with delusions of grandeur or what? pic.twitter.com/3Rr4pphxrt
See what we mean by vaguely threatening notifications?
Recommended
Yeah, that.
We did it!!
— Sukey Deutschkron 🎗️💚🤍💜 (@e1duchess) August 20, 2025
The content is being removed from the app. pic.twitter.com/BWXnW8BDZJ
Excellent work!
Jfc yall are ridiculous. You genuinely called them immature while getting upset that Rowling was called mean in an imaginary conversation, and you imagined that an automated message from a CARTOON BEAR was mocking you??
— puddle 🇨🇦 (@Erinnwilken08) August 21, 2025
'Why do you care so much!?'
Sweet summer child, wait till you understand the methods of the TRAs. It won’t be so difficult to believe then.
— Sukey Deutschkron 🎗️💚🤍💜 (@e1duchess) August 21, 2025
We've all seen wat TRAs do and say.
I remember the time @duolingo mocked vaccine injured individuals who suffered from tremors pic.twitter.com/cPXK0BEkgr
— Third-Wave Salt Mine Technocrat 🌈™ (@salt_mine_tech) August 21, 2025
Yikes.
Someone posted this yesterday. I had had no idea. Mindblowingly crass.
— Sukey Deutschkron 🎗️💚🤍💜 (@e1duchess) August 21, 2025
Mind-blowingly crass.
This is why I quit Duolongo. The relentless propaganda for all things fringe left and the repeated progressive talking points became too much. Switched to Rosetta Stone. https://t.co/5aHBq6Q8Fj
— Sue Lani Madsen (@SueLaniMadsen) August 21, 2025
It's off-putting to users, for sure.
I've been using DuoLingo to learn Spanish and Chinese.
— Shashi (@shashigalore) August 20, 2025
The rights of women, actual women not imaginary ones, is my hard line.
Is there anything that doesn't get completely ruined by the incessant childishness of leftists? https://t.co/egVL15keOD
No, sadly.
Why would Duolingo be posting comentary on the SC ruling? This thread shows it to be riddled with ideology. And its used by schools. https://t.co/5agf0Q4qI3 pic.twitter.com/jQCBybQpBY
— Berta XX (@Flat_Bertha) August 21, 2025
Leftists run the company.
Duolingo called JK Rowling "mean" and later apologised.
— Phil (@icedcoffee) August 20, 2025
What a bunch of twats. https://t.co/g09vbzUHAZ pic.twitter.com/miXRUs0Or7
They only apologized because someone called them out.
Duolingo was intolerably woke when I was on there a few years ago. Not surprising that JK Rowling's stand for reality is called "mean." https://t.co/odhSFpebMs
— Hyperdulia (@SofiaSmith40005) August 20, 2025
Not surprising at all.