Facebook and Instagram’s “Community Guidelines” forbid the showing of women’s nipples (not men’s) as it considers that they are always sexual – unless, rather offensively, they have been removed as the result of cancer surgery and then it decides those women are no longer sexual!
But with most blocking done by flesh spotting bots, mistakes are made regularly and there is no reliable way to appeal. Once blocked, an individual will be far more likely to face day, week, month long bans before having their account closed for what can be very trivial reasons.
Apparently, with an ocean of free hardcore porn two clicks away, this image is too sexual for Instagram.
Following strong pressure from groups supporting breastfeeding, Facebook and Instagram agreed to allow images of breastfeeding – but that doesn’t mean they won’t block an image and not allow an appeal.
Even though images of breastfeeding are permitted, Facebook says this beautiful image contains excessive nudity – by Emilie Binzer.
What Facebook considers to be sexual can be very strange – but get blocked a few times and the chances are it will almost anything you do.
Sometimes its truly baffling what it considers to be too much skin!
And once it gets going – you don’t have to say much to be banned.
A 7 day ban for a joke comment about a “twopenny wank”.
Remember that much of what they ban is references to consensual sexual behaviour – kink shaming. There is no sound reason why, if labelled as 18+ or NSFW, that adults should not be able to post content that is not unlawful and that has been uploaded with the consent of the participants. That said, few of us want social media to be more porn – but banning kink is an unacceptable judgement on wholly lawful behaviour.
The photographer @jannicahoney has had their work blocked for posting images that Instagram consider to be inappropriate when, in reality, they have been no more than depictions of very safe consensual behaviour.
Some organisations highlight how effects of the censorship and control – such as The National Coalition Against Censorship and Don’t Delete Art. The #freethenipple campaign actively campaigns against sexist controls over how women’s bodies are shown. Many artists use nipples in their art, much of it blocked by Instagram.
Phil Pool - Art and Protest 