You might not have seen it until someone pointed it out. But an Amazon logo that was just quietly redesigned bore an unsettling resemblance to the face of Adolf Hitler – at least according to some on social media. The much-mocked app icon, with a smile-shaped arrow beneath what looked like a toothbrush-style moustache, was unveiled in January, replacing a shopping-cart logo that had been used by the online-shopping giant for more than five years.

The company refused to say on Wednesday if criticism of the new logo prompted the second redesign this year, which blunted the scraggly edges and dog-eared a corner of the blue patch, which, according to Amazon, was always intended to evoke a piece of packaging tape.

“We designed the new icon to spark anticipation, excitement and joy when customers start their shopping journey on their phone, just as they do when they see our boxes on their doorstep,” the company said of the original change from the shopping-cart icon.

Amazon did not respond directly to questions of whether the tweaks were made in response to chatter on social media and news reports about the logo. In its statement on Wednesday it said the new app icon “follows recent visual and functional updates”. – New York Times service