Snapchat’s racist yellowface filter lands it in hot water
Snapchat’s problems with racist image filters aren’t over yet, it seems. The messaging service tells The Verge that it has pulled a filter that was supposed to be anime-inspired, but came across as turning people into racist Asian caricatures — just look at the picture above if you need proof. Suffice it to say that the filter won’t be coming back.
Snapchat did act quickly to take the filter down. However, the incident raises some poignant questions. Why didn’t the company learn from the Bob Marley filter, which many (including us) said amounted to digital blackface? And how did Snapchat not see the problem coming when many of its employees are Asian? Although this wasn’t intentional racism, the incident suggests that Snapchat may need closer oversight of filters to prevent an uproar in the future.
.@Snapchat wanna tell me why u thought this yellowface was ok?? pic.twitter.com/sgpW4AFPsE
— grace (@tequilafunrise) August 9, 2016
Via: Dazed
Source: Mic, Grace (Twitter), The Verge
AIVAnet 