new york's attorney general investigating racial profiling at apple stores

Remember those allegations of racial profiling of Chinese customers trying to buy iPads at the Soho Apple store? New York's attorney general is taking those complaints seriously and investigating the claims: Apple's Fear of Asian Customers Is Being Officially Investigated.

Complaints alleged that Apple mistreated customers of Asian descent, questioning their English skills, demanding to see their passports and denying them from buying iPads. Apple is apparently worried about people smuggling unauthorized iPads into China:

Apple's press office didn't immediately respond to inquiries by telephone or email, but a person who had been informed of Apple's policy said the company -- concerned that customers were purchasing multiple iPads for sale abroad -- had briefly instituted a questionnaire for use in the course of iPad sales, aimed at blocking those illegal exports.

The source said the policy is no longer in place, and Bamberger signaled that the investigation appears likely to be resolved routinely.

The investigation, conducted by the Attorney General office's Civil Rights Bureau, has reportedly focused on flagship stores in Soho and on 14th Street in Manhattan. More here Cuomo looks into iPad sales over discrimination claim. I guess Apple is extremely terrified of Chinese people too.