MANIFESTO
PROTECT ART ON SOCIAL MEDIA
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PROTECT ART ON SOCIAL MEDIA -
Social media is a critical avenue for artistic exposure and expression; in 2020, it replaced art fairs as the third most successful way for galleries to sell art. As a result, social media corporations have become cultural gatekeepers with unprecedented power to determine which art works can freely circulate and which ones are banned or pushed into the digital margins.
Overly restrictive and unclear community guidelines, along with vague definitions as to what counts as “objectionable” material, routinely erase art from search functions, explore functions, and hashtags. Algorithmic errors result in the removal of work, in account deletion, suppression of reach, and in loss of followers. Appeals processes are difficult, protracted, and often ineffective.
As cultural workers and institutions we are deeply concerned about this arbitrary and needlessly aggressive gatekeeping. It negatively impacts artists—who feel fearful and powerless, and often opt to censor themselves—and considerably restricts public access to visual art. Furthermore, as social media companies are held to different and changing regulatory standards in the US, Europe, and the UK, it will be critical for at-risk artists to be considered and valued as companies adapt. The artists and audiences that are likely to be most severely affected are those living in oppressive regimes, those coming from marginal groups, and those who lack museum or gallery representation.
For social media to be a place where the arts and artists can thrive, we call for the reconsideration of existing restrictions on artistic content; for review of alleged violations; and for a better appeals and notifications process as specified by the Don’t Delete Art Campaign and the Santa Clara Principles. Every platform should have established methods for incorporating artist perspectives into its content moderation policies, as well as special procedures for the review and appeal of art-related posts.
