New moko kauae filters on social media are causing controversy.
Using names like “Māori Mask” and “Māori Face Tattoo,” app creators have designed filters that can be used on platforms like Instagram and Snapchat.
To some, this easy access to Māori culture has been touted as a positive, a helping lens to the revitalisation of mātauranga Māori.
But other people are concerned about the protection of Māori identity and intellectual property.
Their concern is that when you take something from a culture without permission and you misrepresent it, you damage that culture.
As a result of these concerns Snapchat has since pulled the filters. At this stage Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram has not done the same.
