Facebook and Instagram may allow the publication of photos with female nipples

The Supervisory Board of Meta (recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation) recommended revising the rules of Facebook and Instagram, which prohibit the publication of photos with female nipples on social networks. The council also reversed the decision to remove the posts of the transgender couple.

The recommendations were made in connection with the removal of photos of a transgender couple on Instagram for sexualized content. In the photo, the couple posed topless, but covered their nipples, writes Dailymail. The photos were manually restored by Instagram moderators, but the Meta Supervisory Board decided to review the situation in a meeting. As a result, the policy of social networks was recognized as erroneous and it was recommended to establish general rules for moderating such content.

“The restrictions and exceptions to the rules regarding female nipples are extensive and confusing, especially as they apply to transgender and non-binary people,” the council said in a statement.

The company must publicly respond to accepted recommendations within 60 days. According to information The Guardianat Meta welcome the decision of the supervisory board.

According to the current rules, Facebook and Instagram are prohibited from posting photos of female nipples. Photos with male nipples are not covered by this policy. Activists have been trying to get the rules changed for about a decade, including staging mass protests. In 2020, activists came to the Facebook headquarters in New York completely naked, hiding behind only photographs of male nipples. Challenging existing moderation rules on Facebook and Instagram is part of the #FreeTheNipple movement.

Olesya Pavlenko