Births Banned On Facebook

Like an awkward adolescent at a party, Facebook has always had trouble with the ladies. Whether they are banning breasts, or the scars that show where those breasts used to be, it is clear that any reference to female sexuality is verboten.

The puerile censors who scan the pages for obscene content have trouble telling the difference between a picture of a woman’s body and pornography — an distinction which is obvious to anyone whose experience of women’s bodies lies outside the internet.

Their latest target has been birthing pictures. No, not the terrifying ones that send grown women into a swoon, but professional photographs taken for the purpose of sharing with friends and family. Photos like this:

She did her best to comply with Facebook’s regulations and made sure that no picture involved nipples or genitalia. A page was created urging the social networking site to allow her back, then the media caught wind of the story. Before her interview with AP was published, Facebook apologised and reinstated her page.

“When they had the ‘no nipples’ policy, you could still post really inappropriate pics … just with no nipples showing,” she told The Stir.

“I believe that they really are trying to eliminate that stuff by broadening out the definition a little bit. But I really wish they would use a little common sense when censoring.

“Everything I posted was discrete and tasteful, and it’s all stuff I would let my own children see. In fact I think it’s GOOD for children to see breastfeeding photos and discrete photos of births. It helps spark a discussion with their parents that is healthy for their development! I would much rather they see a woman in that context than in many other contexts on Facebook.”

A woman’s body is not always sexual and it’s time we recognised that it can do things other than arouse men. Indiscriminately censoring any images that involve female nudity is frankly kind of weird. Facebook needs to re-evaluate their definition of obscene, and Mark Zuckerberg should spend more time with women in real life — we’re not all aspiring porn stars.

Contact the author here: mick@morningquickie.com