Has Facebook Lost the Plot with Nudity?

Facebook’s guidelines on displaying images containing nudity continue to bamboozle me. We’ve had lots of images removed over the last few years as well as having one of our pages completely deleted in 2011. This week I had 2 images removed that were both posted months ago.

Erotic Boudoir

The pic above was posted in July last year so has been on our page for over 12 months. I was sent a notification last week that it did not conform to “FB’s Community Standards” so had been removed. Because this was my third image to be removed in the last month FB also banned me from posting for 7 days and requested that I send them a photo of some official ID so that I could prove that I am a “real” person. :/

Then yesterday I was sent another message to say that the picture below had been removed for not conforming…and they “unpublished” our Nudes Exposed Facebook page (again). This picture had been on our page for about 2 months.

Art Nude Photography
Facebook’s Community Standards Guidelines on Nudity are as follows:

“We remove photographs of people displaying genitals or focusing in on fully exposed buttocks. We also restrict some images of female breasts if they include the nipple, but we always allow photos of women actively engaged in breastfeeding or showing breasts with post-mastectomy scarring. We also allow photographs of paintings, sculptures and other art that depicts nude figures. Restrictions on the display of both nudity and sexual activity also apply to digitally created content unless the content is posted for educational, humorous or satirical purposes. Explicit images of sexual intercourse are prohibited. Descriptions of sexual acts that go into vivid detail may also be removed.”

Neither of the above pictures contain nipples, buttocks or any genitals. I would also say that neither of them is particularly sexual (the second shot was actually posed with the hands over the nipples so that it would be Facebook friendly for god’s sake!) So why are our pictures being singled out when there is so much other content I see on FB that is so much stronger? And what is so wrong with women’s nipples anyway…why must they be covered at all times? You can post a picture of a topless woman with pasties on her nipples where you can see the whole of the rest of the breast and Facebook thinks this is just tickety-boo. They don’t look at the context of the picture, just what is on show.

Sexy Glamour Shots

This sexy glamour-type image is allowed on Facebook

_GEN0799 colour2@2x

This casual editorial image would be removed by Facebook.

Sadly it seems that someone is reporting our images to Facebook as being pornography. What makes someone want to report our images? I myself have reported posts involving racism and hate speech and Facebook have not removed the offensive material. So why is their knee-jerk reaction to any form of nudity, however subtle to just remove it and ban the person who posted it? If you don’t like a picture on FB then you can hide it, or even hide all posts from that page. If you don’t follow the page you will only see their posts if you actually take the time to visit the page. And whoever reported these 2 images took the time to trawl through months of other posts to reach the 2 that so offended them!

I’m fed up with the merest hint of sexuality or nakedness being demonised by Facebook while it sits back and allows posts promoting gun-worship, racism, and violence. I’m off to Twitter where nipples are allowed to be published in all their glory…

 

SaveSave

4 Comments

  • I think your photos are beautiful. I think the naked body is beautiful and you are very skilled in taking a person and making them feel comfortable enough to celebrate their body- whatever shape, age, condition it may be in and create something I can appreciate not as a sexual image but something that celebrates human beings.

    Admittedly there are a few repressed individuals who find these images challenging most likely due to the feelings they evoke in them which they are intimidated by but that very fear is the reason why I think we need more celebration around our natural bodies instead of relying on photoshopped, glamour shots most celebrities and models tout as our ideal (and unattainable) bodies.

    Keep posting your work and recommend that those who are offended not to look- they must come and check your site regularly to see what it is they can complain about…

    • Thank you so much for your comments R. Much appreciated. I agree that as a society we find it hard to separate nudity from sex – clients who come to us from different parts of Europe are generally more relaxed about going nude. We British in particular I believe are conditioned to find nakedness sexual rather than just a natural state of being 🙂

      • I’m British and I am constantly in conflict with myself- part of me thinks we should be more liberal and where whatever makes us feel comfortable… and then tutting when I see a girl/woman walking around the street half-naked! :-s

        I am working up the courage to come and see you though when I’m in better shape!

  • It’s disappointing. There are plenty of glamour models and brands with pages who post images of women in various states of undress but make women feel inadequate and set unrealistic standards. Mighty B’s photos are tasteful and a true reflection of women’s beauty. you can keep the Facebook page but use Instagram and Twitter. Think there are many opportunities for mighty B on Instagram.