Black Power member threatens legal action after his image is used in controversial Mongrel Mob app

Whare Laupama is threatening legal action over his image being used in a controversial app without permission.
Whare Laupama is threatening legal action over his image being used in a controversial app without permission.

STORY UPDATE: 

Web developer Supreme Studios has abandoned plans for a follow-up app after allegedly receiving threats.

It issued a statement to Newshub saying, "Gang members have now gone to death threats and we have received images of gang members wielding firearms."

As a result, it says its original plan to republish the Mongrel Mob Defence app will not happen and it will no longer release a follow-up app called Black Power Defence

"We will not be republishing the app and there will be no follow-up titles."

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A Black Power member is furious his photo has been used without permission in a controversial app about gang warfare, and has threatened legal action against the app developers.

The Mongrel Mob Defence app was removed from Google Play, allegedly for "intrusive ads" according to developer Supremacy.

The app was heavily criticised for promoting gang violence as well as using images of people without permission.

An image of deceased Mongrel Mob member Greco was taken down after his family and the photographer complained. Alf Stewart of Home and Away was substituted, but the app developers say it "wasn't received well by Australia's Channel Seven", so that's gone too.

Now the Black Power member featured, Whare Laupama, is threatening legal action, saying the inclusion of his image is "outrageous".

"I'm so angry about my face getting shot in front of everyone, in front of New Zealand," he told Newshub. 

"At the end of the day, why has it got to be my face? I'm just like every other man, like every other gangster. We've all got families."

Mr Laupama says his four-year-old daughter asked him about the game.

"All she sees is her dad getting shot in the face. What can she do about seeing that?"

Gang expert Harry Tam has also condemned the developers for using Mr Laupama and Greco in their game.

"As I understand it, they are trying to pass it off as a bit of fun," he told Newshub.

"I don't see anything funny about it, and if it's so fun, they should use images of their own parents on it and let's see how funny it is then."

Newshub.