Instagram and Snapchat yank Giphy integration due to racist GIF

Instagram and Snapchat have each removed their Giphy sticker feature after a user discovered a racist GIF could be added to story posts, according to TechCrunch.

Instagram and Snapchat each added a Giphy integration to their stories features earlier this year, which allowed users to add GIFs from a library to their stories. Twitter user Lyauna Augmon posted a screenshot of the offensive image and tagged Instagram founder Kevin Systrom, demanding that it be taken down. The GIF reportedly appeared when someone searched for the word “Crime”.

Giphy allows users to post content to its site, and its terms of service state that users aren’t allowed to post content that is abusive, obscene, offensive, or vulgar. In a statement, a Giphy spokesperson said that they removed the GIF after it was discovered. “After investigation of the incident, this sticker was available due to a bug in our content moderation filters specifically affecting GIF stickers. We have fixed the bug and have re-moderated all of the GIF stickers in our library. “

In statements to TechCrunch, Snapchat says that it removed the GIF and temporarily halted its integration with Giphy “while we wait for Giphy’s team to take a look at it,” while Instagram say that it’s done the same.

Updated March 10th, 2018, 2:00PM ET: Updated to include statement from Giphy.