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Three new, exclusive Snapchat filters will raise money for AIDS prevention

How tech companies are giving back on World AIDS Day.

 

Selena Larson

Tech

Posted on Nov 30, 2015   Updated on May 27, 2021, 2:05 pm CDT

You might notice a new suite of filters for your snaps on Tuesday, and these special add-ons are actually for a good cause.

Snapchat is teaming up with (RED), part of the ONE Campaign and a nonprofit organization fighting to eradicate HIV and AIDS, to raise money for the organization through special filters from Tiesto, Jared Leto, and Jimmy Kimmel.

The filters launch at midnight, Dec. 1, in honor of  World AIDS Day

Snapchat

Whenever someone sends a snap using the special (RED) filters, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will donate $3 to (RED). Snapchat users can generate up to $3 million total through the Snapchat fundraiser. 

According to (RED), three bucks is enough to provide 10 days worth of life-saving HIV and AIDS medication to patients in sub-Saharan Africa, the region of the world most affected by the virus, where 24.7 million people live with HIV. 

The Snapchat filters will rotate throughout the day. The goal of the partnership is to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS while providing monetary support and increased awareness. The filters only last for 24 hours, so if you want to see them after Dec. 1, you should save your snap to your camera roll. 

Snapchat isn’t the only tech company gearing up to support the global health organization. Uber is giving riders an option to donate $5 to (RED) in 150 cities around the world, and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will match each donation made in the on-demand taxi app. From now until Dec. 20, Ticketmaster is displaying (RED) buttons on its website to encourage people to donate to the organization. And Apple, continuing its tradition of supporting (RED), is offering customized (RED) phone cases, and the company is also partnering with iOS developer Supercell to offer in-game purchases to support (RED). 

So as your snapping those selfies on Dec. 1, remember to choose a (RED) filter to help raise awareness and money for HIV and AIDS. 

Illustration by Max Fleishman

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*First Published: Nov 30, 2015, 10:26 pm CST