Meta’s oversight board is asking executives to review their nudity copy on Facebook and Instagram.
Last Monday, the supervisory board of Meta inflicted a real snub on Instagram. It has indeed invalidated the decision of the platform to withdraw two publications showing transgender and non-binary people with bare chests, but with hidden nipples. Not content with reversing the social network’s original decision, the 20 “wise men”, who include a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, lawyers and various experts, recommended that Meta review its “Nudity and activities sexual relations among adults”, not sufficiently clear and respectful of human rights for their liking.
The Supervisory Board has decided on two separate Instagram posts from the same couple. The two photos posted evoked, in legend, the future operation of sexual reassignment of one of the members of the couple. She wanted to finance her removal of the breasts through crowdfunding. Far from being erotic or shocking, the photos were spotted by Meta’s automatic nudity detection. And twice, the system erased them.
Facebook and Instagram will relax their rules on nudity, in the name of gender equality
Sure of their right, the two netizens appealed the decision of Instagram with Meta, then escalated the matter to the Supervisory Board. Much good took them, since their publications came back online as soon as the announcement that the wise men were going to rule on their case. Consequently, Facebook and Instagram will have to change their policy in terms of nudity.
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According to Helle Thorning-Schmidt, former Danish prime minister and board member, “the current policy is based on a binary vision of gender”. It forces moderators to make quick and subjective decisions. Exceptions to the rule exist, but they are unclear. Facebook and Instagram will indeed benefit from changing their nudity policies. As much for the moderators, whose daily life can be a real hell, as for the users.
Source: Oversightboard