Some Snapchat users are complaining online that the app's beauty filters suggest a lighter skin tone is more appealing or attractive to its users. The filter applies a mask that enhances and lightens skin tone before users send the picture or clip to their friends.
Snapchat filters have its users talking; are they racist or just harmless fun?
"There is a noticeable difference in the brightness in the filters but I think that is something that is quite common in all sorts of media and production these days to kind of emphasise someone's beauty but I think that that's kind of Snapchat's way of bringing that kind of really high-up technology into user's everyday kind of life”, says Kieron Ratima from Ngāti Kahungunu.
People online from around the world have been discussing the 'beauty' filters. Which can lighten and brighten the user's skin tone and even change their eye colour.
"I guess it's a fun app they shouldn't worry too much about it. There's like a whole spectrum of it and you don't need to get real defensive about it”, says Dexter Rapana from Te Arawa.
Since its launch in 2011, Snapchat has grown to boast more than 100 million active users daily, with around 9000 snaps posted every second of every day.
Ratima says, "So it extends to all users they could maybe have an option where you can dim the lighting or just make it a bit more user-friendly to those of different racial kind of skin types."
Last month the app came under fire for its Bob Marley filter. Made together with Marley's family, to celebrate the unofficial marijuana holiday 4/20. Users thought it was digital blackface.
"I think that if users are unhappy about using the product them maybe they shouldn't use those filters”, says Ratima.
Snapchat was contacted for comment but Te Kāea was yet to receive a response. These Snapchatters say users should keep in mind beauty is in the eye of the beholder.