Medium: Archival inkjet print on Hahnemühle photo rag

Censored by: Instagram

Date of censorship: August 2019

Was there notification of removal? If so, what was the reason given?
Yes, I offended community standards.

Was there the opportunity to appeal? If so, did you appeal and what was the response?
I didn’t appeal.

What, if any, were the consequences of the removal for you?

This was on the occasion of the publication of a catalogue for an exhibition in Germany of a large body of images from my series: love in the ruins; sex over 50. I wanted to create awareness about the catalogue publication.

Comments:
Overall I have found that I am less able than friends to share work through Instagram because it is taken down so quickly. I have had images of literal fornication survive because they may not have looked as explicit and because my nipples were not visible.

Artist’s website: susansilas.com

Artist’s Instagram: @susansilas

Medium: Digital artist - 3D

Censored by: Instagram

Reason given:
Adult content showing full nudity (it doesn't)

What date were you censored?: 11/09/2021

Was there notification of removal and if so was a reason given?:
Against community guidelines, showing pornographic imagery

Was there the opportunity to appeal? If so, did you appeal and what was the response?:
I appealed 3 times and also to a committee, every repeal was rejected.

What, if any, were the consequences of the removal for you? Please give details.:
One of more popular pieces, sadly Instagram seems to target my work which shows mixed race couples. I have other work which is more on show

Artist Website: http://obbz.art

Artist Instagram: @obbzart

Comments:
Was a piece posted over a year ago. Seems to be targeted removals that happen from time to time randomly. However some are instant. Seems to be more common when showing non white models.

Medium: Artist's Book

Censored by: Instagram/Meta

Was there a notification of removal and if so what was the reason given?:
This image was removed for violating the "Adult Nudity and Sexual Activity" guidelines on Instagram. I was notified on March 15, 2023.

What date were you censored?: March 15, 2023

Were you given an opportunity to appeal? If so, did you appeal and what was the response?:
Yes, I was given an opportunity to appeal. I appealed and it was denied.

What have the consequences been for you because of this removal? Please describe in best detail.:
This was a particularly aggravating removal because it was a post celebrating the fact that I had won a major award for my artist's book, Cut Out. It was very important for me to share this success, and to promote the important group who gave me the award: Mujeres En Las Artes Visuales.

Please write additional comments:
The removal of this post, and the denial of appeal, was quite shocking to me. I am familiar with posts being downranked and removed because of the nature of my artwork (which uses my own body in non-sexual ways), but this image was very obviously a photo of an art object-- white gloves included!

The nature of this removal helps to prove that Meta applies their rules unevenly, and does not abide by they own stipulation that "clear artistic context" would allow for certain imagery.

Your website: http://emma-shapiro.com

Your Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exshaps/

Medium: Photography

Censored by: Instagram

Was there a notification of removal and if so what was the reason given?:
nudity and sexual activity

What date were you censored?: 1/12/2022

Were you given an opportunity to appeal? If so, did you appeal and what was the response?:
No

What have the consequences been for you because of this removal? Please describe in best detail.:
The photograph was posted to sell within a group print sale - the image had to then be reposted with ridiculous censoring which ruined the entire photograph. Not being able to share a photograph of a bum, simply a nude bum, was disturbingly controlling on a seemingly liberal platform. As many of my images have nudity I was left feeling stifled in my artistic expression and misunderstood as the image was not sexual in its nature- it is a photograph about chosen family, sisterhood, intimacy within friendship.

Please write additional comments:
I wonder where the best place to share photography with nudity is? It certainly doesn’t seem to be instagram. How can we have such explicit imagery of violence and human pain in the news and yet a nude body is off limits. I was glad to find your community out here, i agree - don’t delete art.

Your Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/albaroofaroo/?hl=en

Medium: Photography

Censored by: Facebook

Was there a notification of removal and if so what was the reason given?:
Nudity or sexual activity

What date were you censored?: 10/17/2022

Were you given an opportunity to appeal? If so, did you appeal and what was the response?:
Yes, and the appeal was rejected.

What have the consequences been for you because of this removal? Please describe in best detail.:
Yes, it's an image being used to promote my art work and a project to challenge stereotypes about age and bodies. My account has been blocked for 24 hours and I expect it'll be blocked again as it's being blocked for images that don't break its rules...

Please write additional comments:
The image was censored deliberately (by me) to avoid being caught by their rules - and they blocked it any way.

Your website: http://starshumansnests.com

Medium: Photograph

Censored by: Facebook

When?: N/A

Was there notification of removal and if so was a reason given?:
The work violated community guidelines on photographic nudity.

Was there the opportunity to appeal? If so, did you appeal and what was the response?:
No.

What, if any, were the consequences of the removal for you? Please give details.:
The artist is dead and, though censorship affected her throughout her life, now it only affects her audiences.

Comments:
Images from Carolee Schneemann’s iconic 1963 performance, Eye Body: 36 Transformative Actions for Camera, were posted by friends and fans on Facebook in her memory after the artist’s death on March 6, 2019. The work was radical in the 1960s, but Schneemann has been recognized since as one of the leading artists of our times. The work has been shown in the world’s leading museums. Nevertheless, it is still taboo on social media in 2020.

Artist’s Website: caroleeschneemann.com

Medium: Acryllic

Censored By: Instagram

Was there notification of removal? If so, what was the reason given?:
I tried to promote a post and they rejected it. Said the post was showing too much skin, despite the fact no sensitive parts were shown in the painting. Quite ridiculous.

Was there the opportunity to appeal? If so, did you appeal and what was the response?:
Yes, but I didn’t

What, if any, were the consequences of the removal for you?:
I’m trying to build an audience for my art and now realize it is going to be difficult via social media.

Comments:
I think this movement is great. The best art in the world is irreverent. And nude paintings have been the rockbed of progressive art throughout the centuries. Censoring in this day in age is not only ridiculous, it’s outrageous.

Artist Instagram: @andygreenaway

Medium: Photography

Censored by: Instagram

Reason given: Sexual content - against guidelines

What date were you censored?: 05/01/2021

Was there notification of removal and if so was a reason given?:
Against community guidelines

Was there the opportunity to appeal? If so, did you appeal and what was the response?:
I appealed, they made the same decision the second time

What, if any, were the consequences of the removal for you? Please give details.:
I curate my art very specifically and I have to rethink my next post and essentially discard this image that I spend quite a lot of time, money, and effort to capture.

Artist Website: http://soulcraftphotography.com

Artist Instagram: @soul.craft

Comments:
Don’t delete art.

Medium: OTC Aspirin cast in resin

Censorship by: Instagram

Date of censorship: May 2020

Was there notification of removal? If so, what was the reason given?:
Yes – Removed for “Sale of illegal or regulated goods”

Was there the opportunity to appeal? If so, did you appeal and what was the response?:
No

What, if any, were the consequences of the removal for you?:
Due to multiple “offenses,” Instagram informed me that my profile is “at-risk” of being deleted. This makes me incredibly anxious, because Instagram is my primary marketing and networking platform – especially in quarantine.

Comments:
Unfortunately, this is not the first time my artwork has been censored on social media. I was temporarily banned on TikTok for videos of my artwork after 5 days of making an account. Ironically, my art is meant to bring light to the exact issues that I’m being repeatedly reported for; namely, the hypocritical drug and medicine culture we live in, which is so heavily influenced by money, media, and corporations.

Artist’s website: LozCity.com

Artist’s Instagram: @LozCity

Medium: Photography

Censored by: Meta

Was there a notification of removal and if so what was the reason given?:
Claimed "against community standards" violation of nudity or sexual activity~ even though there is none

What date were you censored?: 2/10/2022

Were you given an opportunity to appeal? If so, did you appeal and what was the response?:
I appealed explaining it was editorial for Christian Dior Homme- one of the most mainstream clothing brands published in mainstream publications worldwide. and was still removed.

What have the consequences been for you because of this removal? Please describe in best detail.:
Meta has been prosecuting my art since 2019~ when they banned my FB account for 60 days. Thus making it impossible to publicize my exhibitions even though links to interviews were in mainstream press like Advocate and Los Angeles Weekly. After direct contact by LA weekly on my behalf, FB apologized to Weekly, (not me) and reinstated my account. Since then I've been on a watch list and get censored and shadow banned on a regular basis. Also my stories feature was blocked without any notification or reason, and my tag adding button was deactivated. This has greatly effected my livelihood as an artist. I rely on social media for a good percentage of direct to customer sales.

Please write additional comments:
Meta disproportionately targets queer content~ especially homoerotic content. they never remove images by Lizzo or Megan Thee Stallion no matter how erotic~ but will remove the same idea of an image if the subject is two men. Homoerotic art is over policed by Meta. My image was fully clothed single image. after all the editorial is for a clothing brand!

Your Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/castrrick

Medium: Photography

Censored by: Instagram

Was there a notification of removal and if so what was the reason given?:
Yes for “violating community guidelines”

What date were you censored?: 4/8/2022

Were you given an opportunity to appeal? If so, did you appeal and what was the response?:
No option to appeal

What have the consequences been for you because of this removal? Please describe in best detail.:
Emotional distress and anxiety because there is no nudity in these images.

Please write additional comments:
Instagram removed this post and wouldn't let me appeal the removal. How tf is this violating community guidelines?? There's entirely sexually explicit accounts targeting CHILDREN on this app but a lil match is crossing the line? Make it make sense!

Your Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/amanda.delrae

Medium: Collage

Censored by: Instagram

Was there a notification of removal and if so what was the reason given?:
Yes. “Your post goes against our guidelines on nudity.”

What date were you censored?: 4/15/2022

Were you given an opportunity to appeal? If so, did you appeal and what was the response?:
Yes, I was given a review request. I did not bother to submit seeing as how I’m banned from promoting my account already and feel that Instagram is after me already. Did not want to have them even further into my account.

What have the consequences been for you because of this removal? Please describe in best detail.:
The consequence for me was having to go back and censor nipples and repost it out of the order in which I was creating my post.

Please write additional comments:
They can flag whatever they want, but I meet the minimal requirements for the guidelines!

Your Instagram: http://Instagram.com/_xeldridgex_

Your Twitter: http://Twitter.com/xeldridgex

Medium: Acrylic on canvas

Censored by: Instagram

Date of censorship: April 2019

Was there notification of removal? If so, what was the reason given?:
No.

Was there the opportunity to appeal? If so, did you appeal and what was the response?:
No. They ignored me and the hundreds of people who wrote to them in support of my account and work.

What, if any, were the consequences of the removal for you?:
I had a 3 day anxiety attack.

Artist Instagram: @bettytompkinsart

Medium: Video

Censored by: Instagram

Was there a notification of removal and if so what was the reason given?: Three videos have been blocket in some countries

What date were you censored?: 9/22/2022

Were you given an opportunity to appeal? If so, did you appeal and what was the response?: No

What have the consequences been for you because of this removal? Please describe in best detail.: Anxiety Business lost Free speech lost

Please write additional comments: I believe as an artist that I am on the right track with what I am creating, especially when I am getting banned from social media. It means I am ON something good, for humanity, our free speech. [Our human rights to make a better world. But It definitely makes it harder to get out >> with social media banning my Art In this case I am presenting videos on Instagram [I AM A REBEL EMPRESS] and quick like that >> Those videos get banned in “some countries”

Your website:

Your Instagram: http://Instagram/michael_angle_oh

Medium: Photography

Censored by: instagram

When?: April 2018

Was there notification of removal and if so was a reason given?:
There was notification but most of the time you can hardly see what photo it is and the reason was it went against community guidelines.

Was there the opportunity to appeal? If so, did you appeal and what was the response?:
Can’t recall in particular but when there’s the opportunity to do so it always comes back with the same answer -"it violates community guidelines”. I've never won an appeal, ever.

Other comments:
In order to cope with the frustration and the hypocrisy of double standards i had to post the photos already censored, trying to do so in the less invasive possible so there’s still dignity towards the work - the white strips are visible under the scribble in this image. But it’s always unpredictable, sometimes photos are still banned, while others I find more edgy regards community guideline stay. In this photo I vented my frustration and this is how the image is seen on Instagram now.

Website: http://cargocollective.com/julianamaar

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliana.maar/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julianamaar

Medium: Photography

Censored by: Instagram

Date of censorship: September, 2018

Was there notification of removal and if so was a reason given?:
Yes I received a notification stating that the content was removed for displaying sexual activity.

Was there the opportunity to appeal? If so, did you appeal and what was the response?:
There was no opportunity to appeal!

What, if any, are the consequences of the removal for you? Please give details?:
Between 2017 and 2019 my Instagram account was removed and reinstated 9 times alongside many images that were removed from he platform permanently.

Comments:
My letter to Instagram – adey.co/dear-instagram

I thought you would like these posts from my show The Censored Exhibition at The Finnish Museum of Photography which had interactive elements in protest to social media censorship.

instagram.com/p/CFzo80aHD5Z/?utm_medium=copy_link

instagram.com/p/CEo-42knvma/?utm_medium=copy_link

instagram.com/p/CGFrE6Xnt_M/?utm_medium=copy_link

Artist Website: adey.co

Artist Instagram: @__adey__

Medium: Photography

Censored by: Instagram

Date of censorship: April 2019

Was there notification of removal? If so, what was the reason given?:
Yes, I was advised that the image violated Instagram’s Community Standards regarding Nudity and Sexually Suggestive material.

Was there the opportunity to appeal? If so, did you appeal and what was the response?:
Yes, I appealed and the appeal was denied.

What, if any, were the consequences of the removal for you?:
At the time, the focus of my work was photographing gay couples. Because of this deletion and other deletions I had to stop posting most of my couples work because my account was identified as vulnerable to deletion by Instagram. As a result, couples stopped contacting me about being photographed and this effectively prevented me from continuing this series.

Comments:
What is most frustrating here is that the image does not violate any Community Guidelines that I am aware of. The models are not nude. There is no pubic hair, no penis and no close-up of a butt. And, there is no sexual activity or suggestive sexual activity. This is simply an image of a real-life couple hanging out after a gym workout.

Much of my Couples work is inspired by the Berlin Memorial which acknowledges the discrimination and violence gay men endured during WWII. I discovered the memorial just four years ago during a visit to Berlin. It consists of a small black shack across the street from the Holocaust Memorial. The shack has only one window and when you look through it, there’s a one-minute black and white loop of two attractive young men, fully clothed, caressing and kissing one another in an affectionate manner. For me, the memorial was incredibly moving—why would anyone want to harm something so beautiful?

After seeing the memorial, I decided to create a COUPLES series that would likewise endeavor to present positive images of gay men together. However, the Instagram algorithm, by deleting this image and other positive images of men together, is now preventing me from sharing my COUPLES work and sharing the positive message of the Berlin memorial.

Artist Website: www.gruenholtz.com

Artist Instagram: @gruenholtz @gruenholtzvintage

Medium: Video designed for the Instagram platform

Censored by: Instagram

Date of censorship: June 2020

Was there notification of removal? If so was a reason given?
Nudity or sexual activity.

Was there the opportunity to appeal? If so, did you appeal and what was the response?
Yes. My account was permanently deactivated once and deactivated twice more. With my first account I hadn’t recorded the harassment, so nothing came of the appeal. After that, I recorded everything. IG’s appeal form is laughable because you can’t upload screen-grabs, so I wrote out all the harassment, threats and handles.

What was the response?
At first nothing, so I repeated it all on IG’s FAQs. Both times, after this bombardment, IG reinstated my account: my content was intact, all harassing DMs and most of their accounts deleted.

What, if any, were the consequences of the removal for you?
My first deactivation was emotionally hard. I lost thousands of followers, two years’ worth of carefully written posts and a large portion of images and videos.

Comments:
Before my first post was deleted, I used to post a few funny pictures. In July 2016, I posted a photo of me lifting my dress revealing “granny” underwear. It was reported almost instantly for “nudity and pornography.” Since then, I have mainly been testing the boundaries of IG’s Community Guidelines and at times, usually in frustration, pointing out their hypocrisies and biases.

Artist website: www.chiara-no.com

Artist Instagram: @chiara_no_

Medium: Analogue photography

Censored by: Instagram

Reason given: Post removed for nudity or sexual activity

What date were you censored?: 01/18/2021

Was there notification of removal and if so was a reason given?: "Against community guidelines on nudity or sexual activity."

Was there the opportunity to appeal? If so, did you appeal and what was the response?: I did appeal but after a few months they got back to me saying there was a risk of deleting my account due to the same reasons.

What, if any, were the consequences of the removal for you? Please give details.:

Since then everything I post seems to reach less than 20% of my followers and therefore I believe I've shadow banned. I also had a loss of followers and some bots to deal with. It's been impossible to grow or expose my work.

Artist Instagram: @cris35mm

Medium: Oil painting and photography

Censorship by: Instagram, Facebook, Patreon, Tumblr

Date of censorship: A better part of 2019 although it began in 2018

Was there notification of removal? If so, what was the reason given?: Against the community guidleines about nudity, cropping of images in an unflattering manner, political page

Was there the opportunity to appeal? If so, did you appeal and what was the response?: I appealed every time. 95% of the time my posts did not get reinstated.

What, if any, were the consequences of the removal for you?: Lost followers and opportunites at a critical time in my career. I believe I lost several opportunities to sell art and leverage art and museum shows.

Artist’s website: www.nadinerobbinsart.com

Artist’s Instagram: @nadinerobbinsartist