In 2008, Facebook began removing photographs of breastfeeding mothers under its nudity policy, flagging visible nipples as violations. The removals sparked widespread criticism from parents, healthcare advocates, and free expression groups who argued that the platform was censoring a natural and non-sexual act. In response, users organized petitions, coordinated online “nurse-ins,” and launched social media campaigns challenging the platform’s gendered moderation standards. After years of sustained public pressure, Facebook revised its Community Guidelines in 2014 to formally allow images of breastfeeding, even when nipples are visible. The shift marked an early acknowledgment that context matters in content moderation decisions.

In 2010, YouTube removed two films by experimental artist Amy Greenfield — Element (1982) and Tides (1982) — citing violations of its Community Standards. The works, which explore movement and the expressive capacity of the body, were flagged for nudity despite their longstanding recognition as art. National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) urged YouTube to apply its guidelines more judiciously and implement a meaningful appeals process to protect artistic and educational content. Following advocacy and public pressure, YouTube restored the videos, setting an important precedent for contesting automated or overly broad moderation decisions.

In 2011, Facebook suspended the account of French teacher Frédéric Durand-Baïssas after he posted an image of L'Origine du Monde (1866) by Gustave Courbet. The 19th-century painting, a canonical work of art history, was deemed to violate the platform’s nudity standards. Durand-Baïssas sued, arguing that Facebook failed to distinguish between pornography and art and had violated his right to free expression. Facebook countered that its terms of service required disputes to be heard in California courts. After a six-year legal battle, a Paris court ruled that Facebook had wrongfully shut down the account. In 2019, the company settled the case and later adjusted its policies to formally allow artistic nudity in paintings and sculpture, while continuing to prohibit most photographic nudity. The case raised critical questions about platform governance, jurisdiction, and the authority to define art in digital spaces.

The #FreeTheNipple movement gained international attention after filmmaker Lina Esco released her film Free the Nipple and shared promotional clips on social media, only to have them removed for violating nudity policies. The incident ignited a broader campaign challenging the rule that permits images of male nipples while banning female ones. The movement exposed the gendered double standards embedded in platform moderation and highlighted the disproportionate impact of such policies on women, artists, and queer communities. Although Meta later clarified aspects of its nudity policies, it did not fundamentally eliminate the underlying distinction. #FreeTheNipple remains a touchstone in debates about gender bias and digital censorship.

In 2015, Canadian trans activist Courtney Demone launched the hashtag #DoIHaveBoobsNow to test Facebook and Instagram’s nipple censorship policies. As she began hormone replacement therapy, Demone posted topless images of herself to challenge the platforms: at what point would her chest be considered “female” and therefore subject to removal? As her appearance became more traditionally feminine, Instagram deleted many of the images. The campaign exposed how moderation policies rely on binary and subjective gender assumptions. By foregrounding trans embodiment, Demone’s action revealed the inconsistencies and discriminatory effects of automated and human content review systems. Ultimately her project and posts were removed by Facebook.

In 2018, Facebook removed an image of the 30,000-year-old sculpture Venus of Willendorf, citing nudity. The image had been posted by Italian arts activist Laura Ghianda. The decision quickly drew international criticism for censoring one of the most iconic works of prehistoric art. Facebook later apologized and restored the image, stating that it makes exceptions for statues. The episode underscored the limits of automated moderation and the difficulty platforms face in recognizing historical and artistic context.

On June 2, 2019, the National Coalition Against Censorship organized #WeTheNipple , a public art action staged outside Facebook’s New York headquarters in collaboration with artist Spencer Tunick. The project featured 125 nude participants covering their nipples and genitalia with circular images of male nipples to highlight the gender inequality embedded in platform policies. The campaign called on Facebook and Instagram to allow photographic artistic nudity. In response, Facebook committed to revisiting its policies and convened a cross-sector group of artists, curators, educators, activists, and employees to examine how artistic freedom could be better protected online.

In 2020, plus-size Black model Nyome Nicholas-Williams faced repeated removals of a topless portrait by photographer Alexandra Cameron on Instagram, despite her pose fully covering her nipples. Supporters launched the hashtag #IWantToSeeNyome to protest what many viewed as inconsistent and biased moderation. The campaign drew attention to how nudity policies disproportionately affect Black bodies and larger bodies, raising questions about racial and size bias in algorithmic enforcement. After widespread public outcry, Instagram reinstated the images and pledged to review its policies to better account for artistic and body-positive expression.

In protest against the regular censorship of their artworks on social media, the Vienna Tourist Board launched a provocative campaign titled “Vienna strips on OnlyFans,” using the subscription platform to highlight the restrictive standards applied to art on mainstream social media. Subscribers to the Onlyfans account would see the uncensored artwork, and receive passes for Vienna art museums. The campaign gained international attention, and won more than 40 awards including a Golden Lion in Cannes in the category "Breakthrough on a Budget."

In 2021, Instagram removed a promotional poster for "Madres Paralelas", directed by Pedro Almodóvar. The Oscar-nominated film’s poster featured a lactating nipple and was flagged for violating nudity rules. Following extensive public criticism of the decision to censor the artwork, Instagram reversed course and restored the post on its platform. To the press, the company stated that they: “make exceptions to allow nudity in certain circumstances, which includes when there’s clear artistic context. We’ve therefore restored posts sharing the Almodóvar movie poster to Instagram […].” Although Instagram's final decision acknowledged the need for a kind of exception for content that has "clear artistic context," in terms of lens-based works, the company notably seems to only apply this exception to well-known work such as Almodóvar's.