Snapchat removes Māori tattoo filters after outcry

Tā Moko are ancient symbols tied to genealogy and identity

(Picture: Getty)

Snapchat’s parent company has removed a filter that applied images of sacred Māori face tattoos, known as Tā Moko, to user’s faces.

The filter caused outcry among communities of the indigenous people of New Zealand who are wary of the commercialisation of moko.

Tā Moko are ancient symbols tied to genealogy and identity, that vary between families and symbols are gendered. Moko kauae are received by women on their lips and chin.

Filters with names like “Māori Mask” and “Māori Face Tattoo,” have been designed to be used by anyone and shared on platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, Radio New Zealand reported.

Traditional Māori tattoo artist Julie Paama Pengally told Radio New Zealand it was cultural appropiation.

“As soon as you take something from a culture without permission and you misrepresent it, and you displace that culture from doing what they want to do with those things themselves, then you’re appropriating,” she said.

Snap, which owns the Snapchat platform, has removed the filter and a duplicate from their platform.

Snapchat filters, which the company refers to as Lenses, uses open-source software Looksery that allows users to modify their features in real time and be freely shared.

“We encourage our community to create Lenses that are inclusive and any shared on Snapchat must comply with our community guidelines,” Snap told the BBC in the statement.

“These are clear that we prohibit content that demeans, defames, or promotes discrimination.”