One user, Eugenia Lee, posted: “@snapchat created a “yellowface” filter?! How socially ignorant & racially insensitive is this.”
Another read: "Snapchat virtualized old-timey yellow face without thinking about how it effects E-Asians. It's disappointing whether it was deliberate or not."
Actress and celebrity blogger Latrice Butts added: “Snapchat This Yellow Face filter is not cool next you'll be doing Black Face & Brown Face #Stop this is not Ok!!”
In an official statement, Snapchat said: "This anime-inspired lens has already expired and won't be put back into circulation.
“Lenses are meant to be playful and never to offend.”
The app faced similar allegations of racism earlier this year for its Bob Marley filter, which added dreadlocks and darkened skin tone.
Snapchat has more than 100 million users globally after soaring to popularity with its photo messages which disappear quickly after the recipient has viewed them.
