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Facebook is finally 'freeing the nipple' thanks in part to how it censored one harmless photo

It's a major win for inclusivity.

Photo by Taylor Harding on Unsplash

Grayscale photo of woman in bikini.

Facebook has been a great place for people to bare all when it comes to their emotions. But when it comes to baring all with regards to bodies, Facebook has always seemed as if they’d rather people bare none of it. Facebook has received criticism for over-sexualizing breasts, but a new recommendation from Meta’s advisory board says the nipples can come out for nonbinary users.

Recently, Facebook censored two posts from a transgender and nonbinary couple that featured the couple appearing topless. Even though their nipples were covered, an AI system took the photos down for "violating the Sexual Solicitation Community Standard" after they were flagged by a human user. The couple appealed to Meta, and the photos were reinstated, but it was enough to catch the attention of Meta’s oversight board, which advises Meta on content moderation policies and is made up of academics, politicians and journalists.

After looking at the issue, the oversight board suggested Meta change their Adult Nudity and Sexual Activity Community Standards "so that it is governed by clear criteria that respect international human rights standards."

According to the board, Meta’s policy was "based on a binary view of gender and a distinction between male and female bodies," making it "unclear" in how it deals with intersex, nonbinary and transgender users.

"We are constantly evolving our policies to help make our platforms safer for everyone," a spokesperson from Meta told The Guardian. "We know more can be done to support the LGBTQ+ community, and that means working with experts and LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations on a range of issues and product improvements."

How free the nipples should be on the social media platform has been a source of contention for more than a decade. Breastfeeding moms have been leading the battle of the boob, duking it out with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg over their ability to share nursing photos on social media. They’ve gone so far as holding a "nurse in" at Facebook headquarters to protest the ban on breasts.

Woman holding her hand over her breast.

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

In 2020, Instagram loosened up its nudity policy thanks to a campaign started by Nyome Nicholas-Williams. While nipples are still a no-no, Instagram now allows breast cupping, hugging, and holding. And in 2021, the oversight board gave the okay for "health related nudity," allowing for photos of nips if they’re related to things like breastfeeding, birth-giving, breast cancer awareness, or gender-confirming surgery. Acts of protest are allowed as well.

Facebook has received criticism for the platform being lax on hate speech but tough on boobs. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerburg has said this is because it's "easier to build an AI system to detect a nipple than what is hate speech," which might explain why Meta is going to use "human reviewers" to "quickly assess both a user’s sex, as this policy applies to 'female nipples,' and their gender identity," according to the board.

Topless man with black background.

Photo by Дмитрий Хрусталев-Григорьев on Unsplash

The new nipple rules are only applicable to transgender and nonbinary users. "The same image of female-presenting nipples would be prohibited if posted by a cisgender woman but permitted if posted by an individual self-identifying as nonbinary," the board noted in its decision.

While the nipple might not fully be free on Facebook, it has taken one large step forward out of its cage. However, Facebook’s over-sexualization of breasts might just be a reflection of society, and in order for the nipple to run wild and out in the open, we might need to change the way people think about breasts in general.

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Wonder how volunteering can change your life? Ask a Peace Corps Volunteer.

Those who give back get so much in return.

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Larissa Gummy was first introduced to the work of the Peace Corps in high school. All it took was seeing a few photos shared by her ninth-grade teacher, a returned Peace Corps Volunteer, to know that one day, she would follow in those footsteps.

This inspiration eventually led Larissa away from her home in Minnesota to Rwanda in East Africa, to give back to her family’s country of origin and pursue her passion for international development. Though her decision confused her parents at first, they’re now proud and excited to see what their daughter has accomplished through her volunteer work.

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Mostly, Larissa worked for Rwanda’s First 1,000 Days Health project, which aims to improve the conditions that affect the mortality rate of kids within the first 1,000 days of being born (or almost three years old). These conditions include hygiene, nutrition, and prevention of childhood diseases like malaria and acute respiratory infections (ARI). Addressing malnutrition was a particular focus, as it continues to cause stunted growth in 33% of Rwandan children under the age of five.

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Facebook is finally 'freeing the nipple' thanks in part to how it censored one harmless photo

It's a major win for inclusivity.

Those who give back get so much in return.

These powerful before-and-after photos reveal just how beautiful aging can be.

Centenarians — people 100 years or older — are a rarity. Their lives are often scrutinized as holding the key to aging.

1. Prokop Vejdělek, at age 22 and 101

2. Bedřiška Köhlerová, at age 26 and 103

3. Ludvík Chybík, at age 20 and 102

4. Vincenc Jetelina, at age 30 and 105

5. Marie Fejfarová, at age 101

6. Antonín Kovář, at age 25 and 102

7. Anna Vašinová, at age 22 and 102

8. Stanislav Spáčil, at age 17 and 102

9. Anna Pochobradská, at age 30 and 100

10. Antonín Baldrman, at age 17 and 101

11. Marie Burešová, at age 23 and 101

12. Vlasta Čížková, at age 23 and 101

13. Ludmila Vysloužilová, at age 23 and 101

Dillon Helbig's 81-page graphic novel— written by "Dillon His Self"—captured the hearts of his local librarians and their patrons.

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Photographer James Balog and his crew were hanging out near a glacier when their camera captured something extraordinary.

It was the largest such event ever filmed.

But once upon a time, Balog was openly skeptical about that "global warming" thing.

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Watch the video of the event of the glacier calving below:

Talk about playing hard to get.

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