FaceApp "hot" filter skin whitening slammed as "racist"

Facial transformation app FaceApp faced criticism for its "hot" filter, which was accused of perpetuating racist and Eurocentric beauty standards. 

Intended to make users look more attractive, the filter was found to lighten skin tones, making users appear whiter; narrow nose shapes and alter facial features to conform to traditional European beauty standards; and erase or reduce facial features associated with non-white ethnicities. 

Users and critics slammed the filter as "racist" and "problematic", arguing that it reinforced the notion that whiteness is the standard of beauty, that it erased or diminished the unique features of non-white individuals, and contributed to the perpetuation of racism in the beauty industry.

FaceApp's developers responded by stating that the filter was not intended to be racist, but rather to make users look more "attractive" based on traditional beauty standards. However, the company ultimately removed the filter and apologised for any offense caused, acknowledging that the feature was "not respectful" and "not acceptable".