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While acting as a seemingly harmless social media platform, Snapchat has received public backlash more often than one would think. Their latest controversy takes the shape of an anime filter, which looks to perpetuate the offensive “yellow face” Asian stereotype. In other words, the filter is racist AF.
The lens overlaid users’ faces with slanted eyes, wide cheeks and toothy grins.
Snapchat had an “anime” filter that, um… https://t.co/7wXIuJ8lkS pic.twitter.com/peZmCYlAvp
— ishmael (@iD4RO) August 10, 2016
https://twitter.com/TansuPhilip/status/763150924063793152
.@Snapchat wanna tell me why u thought this yellowface was ok?? pic.twitter.com/sgpW4AFPsE
— grace (@tequilafunrise) August 9, 2016
Oh, boy. After getting a ton of complaints from users, Snapchat removed the filter. In a statement released to Mashable, a spokesperson announced that the filter wouldn’t be returning to the popular social platform.
“This anime-inspired lens has already expired, and won’t be put back into circulation. Lenses are meant to be playful and never to offend,” it read.
This isn’t the first time Snapchat was called out for racially insensitive filters. To celebrate 4/20, the California-based company released a Bob Marly filter, which had users decked out in blackface and dreadlocks. ICYMI, it didn’t go over well.
Oh my god oh my god oh my god snapchat put a "Bob Marley" filter and it's… bad and in poor taste, to say the least pic.twitter.com/syAHGXp3f6
— Alp Ozcelik (@alplicable) April 20, 2016
oh god @snapchat you didn’t pic.twitter.com/lBZUHZKODg
— Casey Johnston (@caseyjohnston) April 20, 2016
