Maori people consider tattoo art as sacred, and it is taken as an important marker of the wearer's identity.The move follows local media reports that the filters were proliferating on social media.

An investigation by Radio New Zealand revealed filters featuring tā moko tattoos have proliferated on social media apps such as Instagram and Snapchat.

Tā moko represent the Māori genealogy of the wearer, and are a taonga, or treasure, for New Zealand’s Indigenous people.
Mokonui-ā-rangi Smith, who works out of his studio in west Auckland, New Zealand, prepares his uhi (chisels) prior to creating a traditional Māori tattoo.

“When people wear a fake Prada or Gucci bag, people are quick to call it out. However, when tauiwi create Māori art for profit, everyone thinks it’s great,” said takatāpui Māori activist Mandeno Karu Martin to Radio New Zealand. Tauiwi is a word to describe a non-Māori person. “There are people who need to take responsibility when they are using Māori culture in an international space or platform to understand that they have consequences and ramifications.”

A statement from Snap, which owns the Snapchat platform, confirmed that the filter and a duplicate had been removed from their platform.

Snapchat filters - which the company refers to as Lenses - uses Snap-owned software Looksery that allows users to modify their features in real time. Lenses are user-generated and can be freely shared and used by others on the platform

The furore raised questions about greater protection for Māori taonga (treasures) under New Zealand’s intellectual property laws. The Waitangi Tribunal – a body set up to address claims brought by Māori against the Crown from the colonisation of New Zealand – recommended in 2011 a new legal regime for Māori knowledge and culture. Progress towards its establishment is still ongoing.

Snapchat is the most popular chatting services. It is getting popular day by day as a growing social media platform.The internet marketers still buy snapchat accounts for their daily needs. Z2U.com have different Snapchat Accounts for sale to meet your needs, You can use it for any kinds of digital marketing purposes. You will easily send text or voice message even direct call your friends and family with the snapchat accounts.