Snapchat Apologizes for Offensive Juneteenth Filter
Did you see Snapchat’s controversial Juneteenth filter before its removal?
The monolithic media app Snapchat launched an extremely inappropriate, unpopular filter on Friday, June 19, to commemorate Juneteenth. The Juneteeth-inspired filter featured virtual chains that the user was prompted to break via a “smile.” Although possibly benign in nature, this filter makes light of an extremely weighty matter: racial injustice.
Snapchat says it’s sorry for a Juneteenth filter that required users to “smile” to break chains that appeared on the screen. https://t.co/aSBV9OcdMH
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) June 19, 2020
The public was quick to criticize the controversial filter and denounce the company’s obtuse insensitivity and distressing tone deafness.
Snapchat released a filter that broke the chains of slavery with your smile. On Juneteenth. 🥴🥴🥴 pic.twitter.com/jf6yV7OWED
— Kevín (@KevOnStage) June 19, 2020
Fortunately, Snapchat absorbed the criticism and swiftly removed the distasteful filter.
Snapchat removes Juneteenth filter that asked you to smile to break chains https://t.co/QbjkUipAQR
— CNBC Tech (@CNBCtech) June 19, 2020
At present, the company claims to be investigating the creation of the filter.
We deeply apologize for the offensive Juneteenth Lens. The Lens that went live hadn’t been approved through our review process. We are investigating so this doesn’t happen again.
— Snapchat (@Snapchat) June 19, 2020
Juneteenth is a day for reflection and education; hopefully, Snapchat can learn and grow from its inappropriate actions, and we, as ethical consumers, can continue to recognize and call out callous, problematic behavior.
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