Instagram Changes Nudity Policy After Plus-Size Model Row
Instagram and its parent company Facebook will update its nudity policy to ensure all body types are fairly treated after controversy over a plus-size model.
In the summer, Instagram was accused of censoring Nyome Nicholas-Williams which sparked others to come forward and accuse the platform of repeatedly discriminating against Black people and plus-size women by deleting their photos or not promoting them in the same way as it did for white users.
According to the Observer, photographs from a “confidence shoot” by Nicholas-Williams and photographer Alexandra Cameron were repeatedly deleted and were warned their accounts would be too.
Fans protested and continued to post the pictures along with the hashtag #IWantToSeeNyome, after the image in question was deemed to violate Instagram’s pornography guidance.
A post shared by Nyome Nicholas - Williams (@curvynyome) on Oct 25, 2020 at 5:00am PDT
Nicholas-Williams was shocked that “a fat Black woman celebrating her body is banned… I want to promote self-love and inclusivity because that’s how feel and how I want other women like me to feel.”
Instagram and Facebook denied Nicholas-Williams had been racially discriminated against, but confirmed that its former policy on “boob squeezing” had caused her photos to be removed.
Gina Martin, a campaigner who also fought Instagram with Nicholas-Williams, said: "Working for Nyome to strategise this campaign has been important to me, because it's a clear example of what happens when women come together, get organised, offer their skills and uplift each other. Online activism is important and Instagram's willingness to engage with us on this shows that holding platforms accountable respectfully really works. We're so happy to see these guidelines become an official change and Nyome be celebrated."
Instagram says it will now allow content where someone is simply hugging, cupping or holding their breasts, and will consult reviewers if there is any uncertainty as to the nature of the images. "We do have to draw the line somewhere, so when people squeeze their breasts in a grabbing motion with bent fingers or if there is a clear change in the shape of the breasts, that content will still break our rules," read a statement from Instagram. "This policy will apply across Instagram and Facebook."
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