Maurice Mechan
Medium: Black and white chalk pencils
Censored by: Instagram
Was there a notification of removal and if so what was the reason given?:
This image was not removed from Instagram, but was flagged as inappropriate, even though Instagram’s terms & conditions explicitly allow for nudity in the case of artworks. As an extra safeguard, I had pixelated the model’s breasts; this post was effectively shadowbanned.
Of note: this was a repost, made in aid of a model facing financial hardship, auctioning off this artwork.
The original post, made months earlier, was not flagged on posting and in fact remains unflagged, in its original, uncensored state, on my Instagram page.
What date were you censored?: May 07, 2023
Were you given an opportunity to appeal? If so, did you appeal and what was the response?:
I used the internal Instagram ‘Appeal this decision’ function several times, to no avail. I received only automated “We have reviewed our decision, thank you for your feedback” responses from Instagram. The image remained flagged and my accounts visibility remained compromised. At no point was I contacted by a human being, rather I assume that the whole process, from flagging to rejection of appeal, is AI driven.
What have the consequences been for you because of this removal? Please describe in best detail.:
In this specific case, my post was not seen outside of my limited group of followers and the auction was unsuccessful. Further, the consequence of my entire account being shadowbanned was a cause of stress, disappointment, and great frustration. I felt I had followed all of Instagram’s rules and had yet been unfairly penalized by a flawed AI bot that had been unable to distinguish between art and real life (pixelated breasts aside!)
To return my account to visibility and continue gaining followers (and thus more exposure, with a view to building a commercial customer-base) I removed this piece to Archive - in effect censoring my own work.
As I have in fact been forced to do with all subsequent pieces of art that Instagram has flagged as inappropriate, sexually suggestive or featuring sexual solicitation.
Please write additional comments:
I would like to point out an oddity: work posted up until around the end of 2022 was not ONCE flagged or questioned by Instagram. Since the start of 2023 I have faced a constant battle with the automated censor bots - any drawn images featuring genitalia, female nipples and buttocks are almost instantly flagged. Recently a piece was flagged featuring nothing but a bare arm and a leg.
I have deduced that since the start of this year, Meta has either begun a draconian tightening its rules on nude art (without informing artists) or has introduced a new AI-led system of detection for nudity that has great problems in differentiating between photography and semi-realistic drawings. Perhaps both.
Your Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/graphite_and_chalk/