Google has removed the controversial Make Me Asian app from its Google Play Store, NPR reported.
The app which was derided as racist relied on caricatures and stereotypes of Asian Americans to transform pictures of any person to make them look Asian. The decision by Google which was not formally announced comes just days after the hashtag #MakeMeRacist was catching fire. The campaign by 18 Million Rising targeted Asian American celebrities to get them to join the calls for the app’s removal.
“I am deeply thankful to those who realized the danger of these stereotypes entering the mainstream and spoke out against this app,” Rev Peter Chin told NPR. “But I am also appreciative of Google, who listened to our concerns and acted accordingly.”