Instagram did not create a ‘mute white people’ sticker although one is currently available through the app and can be added to an Instagram Story by others. Over the years, Instagram has continually improved its service through new features, and some of them allow others to also contribute to the platform.
Instagram first launched its Stories feature back in 2016, and at the time, it was seen as a way for the service to compete with Snapchat. Since then, Instagram Stories has continually evolved, including gaining the option to add stickers. Doing so, is a quick and easy way to brighten up a post, or create additional methods of engagement. For example, last month Instagram added a new ‘donation’ sticker to the platform as an additional way for users to raise funds for racial justice. Prior to this, Instagram added COVID-19 stickers back in March as useful reminders, at the same time as unveiling its co-watching video chat feature.
After noticing a new ‘mute white people’ sticker showing up in Instagram search, users have taken to other social media services, including Twitter, to point out how the sticker is live on the platform. In addition, many are now asking why Instagram would have launched a sticker like this, claiming it is racist. While the awareness of the sticker's existence is now increasing on Twitter through #MuteWhitePeople, the same hashtag is also now starting to generate results directly on Instagram as well.
How The ‘Mute White People’ Sticker Ended Up On Instagram
Instagram Stickers are a great way to add an extra element to a photo or video and the company has routinely made official stickers available. However, not all stickers are official stickers that have been added to the platform by Instagram. Instead, some users and brands are able to create their own using GIFs and once they have been added to the platform, they tend to become available for others to find through the search feature and use on their own posts.
That appears to be what has now happened with this sticker. The original ‘mute white people’ button image is available through Giphy as the “R29 Unbothered Sticker” by Refinery29. Whether the same user added it to Instagram or not is another question, but someone has and as many are now finding out, it has now become widely available for others to use.
While many continue to debate whether Instagram should have a button like this available on its platform, this is the result of a feature that allows others to create for the service and not the result of Instagram having launched an official ‘mute white people’ Story sticker. In fact, this is likely to be an issue that pops up again and something Facebook will have to deal with eventually, especially considering it purchased Giphy to make it even more tightly integrated with Instagram.
Source: #MuteWhitePeople/Twitter