Instagram and Snapchat have removed support for Giphy for the time being, after a user discovered that a racist GIF could be added to each network’s respective Stories feature – sparking chaos on Facebook and Twitter.
Twitter user Lyauna Augmon reached out to Instagram founder Kevin Systrom with a screenshot of the offensive GIF – which is believed to have surfaced when she searched for “Crime” in the Giphy selector – demanding that it be taken down.
And that’s exactly what Systrom did, instructing Instagram to pull support for Giphy last week – with Snapchat following suit soon thereafter, telling TechCrunch that all GIFs accessible through the platform are supposed to be suitable for a PG audience.
Giphy also issued a statement, informing digital outlet The Verge that the offensive sticker was available due to a bug in its content moderation filters, adding that it’s fixed the bug and has re-moderated all of the GIFs in its extensive library.
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That means it shouldn’t be much longer until Instagram and Snapchat reinstate Giphy. Just when that will happen, however, remains unclear, but we’ve contacted both firms for clarification and will update this post when we hear back.
Do you think Instagram and Snapchat made the right decision pulling support for Giphy after the racist GIF was spotted and reported to Kevin Systrom? Let us know over on Facebook or Twitter @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
