Snapchat accused of racism again
Two days after it appeared, a filter that gave Snapchat users’ faces big cheeks, a sallow complexion and slanted eyes was removed following accusations of racism.
This is not the first time that a Snapchat filter has been deemed xenophobic by Internet users. On the occasion of International Cannabis Day, last April, the application created a filter in the image of Bob Marley. For some, this filter recalled blackface, a theatrical form from two centuries ago in which a white actor blackened his face in order to caricature a black man.
The American company clarified that the purpose of this filter was to allude to the cartoon characters and not to disrespect anyone.
This was not enough to calm mobile users and Snapchat was forced to react quickly by removing the offending filter. Enough to hope that Snapchat has learned its lesson and will not make the same mistake a third time.
