Snapchat apologized for a new interactive face filter

Snapchat apologized for a new interactive face filter created for Juneteenth that called for users to “smile” to break chains that appear in the background, calling it a “mistake.”

The filter became viral on Twitter following a post from digital strategist and journalist Mark S. Luckie, who tweeted a video of him using the filter, saying, “um…interesting.”

The filter sported words across the screen that read “Juneteenth Freedom Day” and prompted users to “smile,” which caused the chains in the background to break.

“Smile to break the chains? Okay then,” he penned, following the tweet with a meme of Will Smith asking, “Where are the black people?!”

Snapchat has since pulled the filter from its platform and released a statement about why it was removed, according to BuzzFeed News.