Blurred guidelines: Instagram verifies pornographic accounts and shuts down body positive accounts.
With my recent bans on Instagram, one back in March for two weeks, and another as of Monday I am currently experiencing, I reached out to the CEO, Head of Communications, Head of Policy and the general support team over at Facebook, via email, just over two weeks ago now.
As you can probably guess, elusiveness has prevailed. Not a peep. Nothing. Silence.
The company’s negligent behaviour continues to preside over significant matters such as body-positivity, body image and non-sexual nudity.
I have had countless accounts on the platform in a similar position reach out to me expressing feelings of frustration and helplessness. Absolutely disheartened by the constant hypocrisy and double standards that Facebook and Instagram seem to exacerbate.
With no response whatsoever, I am at a point where I feel it is time to expose (once again) these blatant double standards and share with you all the great lengths I have gone to in trying to warrant a response from the faceless people that continue to ignore such significant matters that are crucial to a progressive and unified society that bases itself upon equality, tolerance, diversity and empowerment.
For those of you who stand with me on this, who want to help, who truly care about this matter being HEARD, please share this so that it reaches as many people as possible. This issue needs to be seen for what it is. We need to come together as a collective tribe standing up for desexualisation of the human body, body positivity and self-acceptance.
Below is the email I sent on 2 April 2019:
I hope that this email finds you well and in good spirits.
My name is Jessa and I am the person behind the blog, The Nude Blogger…also on Instagram as the body-positive @thenudeblogger.
www.instagram.com/thenudeblogger
To be honest, I have been reluctant to even send this email because, quite frankly, I’ve been worried about being on your radar, but I need to stand up for what I believe in…and, as businessmen/women, you’ll understand that means taking risks. So, here goes…
My blog, ultimately, is about living a more conscious life…in all aspects of life. Two of the major themes throughout my blog are body-positivity and self-love. The aim of my blog and the intention behind why I started this blog is about cultivating kindness, understanding, compassion, tolerance and empowerment. For this to happen, we need to be a little more open-minded and expand our awareness and willingness to listen and respect one another…and so I am politely requesting just a few minutes of your time to read through this email.
As an active advocate for body-positivity, you’ll notice that I post some natural nude photos with censoring where required. Unlike many socially acceptable accounts on the platform, the nudity I post is not about sexual provocation nor glorification, rather it is about promoting self-acceptance with the aim of normalising non-sexual nudity…a stark difference to the current ‘norm’.
Here are some screenshots of some empowering and informative posts on my Instagram account.
So as you can see, I have a very important message to spread, especially for females…even more so for the young females that need a healthy understanding of body image and self-acceptance. A healthy role model. I’ve had many parents contact me and thank me for what I am doing for people such as their children, their young daughters. If you have young daughters, nieces or females in your life, even just on a human level, surely you can appreciate the significance of my mission, my message and what I have to share.
We have far too many accounts unconsciously and acceptably preaching glorification, narcissism, self-loathing, a sense of incompleteness, unhealthy body image, and superficiality.
My blog is about so much more than nudity and gratification. I discuss topics such as health, yoga, travel, spirituality and so on. For my followers and potential followers, it is an information hub aimed at helping people to live more consciously in order to help themselves, those around them and the world in which we all live.
Yes, it is a little unconventional at times, but doesn’t that add to the diversity Facebook and Instagram so boldly pride themselves on?
‘OUR ABILITY TO REACH UNITY IN DIVERSITY WILL BE THE BEAUTY AND THE TEST OF OUR CIVILISATION’ – GANDHI
…and I can only hope that Facebook and Instagram will play a positively pivotal role in this inevitable progressive evolution.
I am 30 years old and have recently taken the risk to quit my part-time retail job to pursue my blog full-time. It is a little scary, but it is what’s in my heart and has a sense of purpose driving it. My blog is my own unique way through which I hope to inspire the world in some way…and Instagram has played a vital role in helping me to do this.
THE PROBLEM:
I started my blog through Instagram back in October 2016, and it took off like I never expected. Since launching on Instagram, I have built myself a website and a lifestyle brand around my blog. I have been so grateful for this service and the potential it offers up to the masses at times. A platform that has the ability to spark real change…a revolution. Over 1 billion users! Instagram has been my main platform for connecting with my audience, but recently, in March, I was banned for posting for over two weeks…. and I’ve been banned again!
I have also previously had my account deactivated for just over three weeks back in 2017…just when I was launching my website. This was absolutely crippling for me, and I did everything in my power to raise awareness about the double standards that I feel are rife on this platform…and it made headlines all around the world! With the recent two week ban, I am absolutely disappointed that something like this can just so recklessly happen (again) without so much as a warning.
What warrants ‘If we take action to disable or terminate your account, we will notify you where appropriate’? What is grounds for ‘appropriate’?
As someone who operates as a ‘business account’ (even though I’ve never been given permission to actually advertise on both Instagram and Facebook), I am disappointed at the lack of accountability and transparency on Instagram’s behalf. With Instagram being a stream of livelihood for me, the elusiveness that is Instagram is not good enough anymore.
I completely understand and respect that you have guidelines in place to keep this community ‘safe’…
What I am struggling to respect is how you allow some and not others. With the ‘others’ usually promoting sexualisation, narcissism, materialism, consumerism and a sense of perpetual incompleteness. I mean, what example are we setting for our children?
You apparently stand against discrimination, but because of your lack of willingness to genuinely contribute to a ‘diverse’ audience, discrimination is exactly what I feel as a member of your community.
So these people are allowed to post nudity, but I am not? I feel that nudity should be reviewed with more discernment on Instagram’s behalf, especially if it is going to allow some but not others. I feel that these pictures represent sexualisation, provocation and glorification…whilst I post natural nudes that are appropriately censored and discuss crucial topics such as body-positivity and self-love.
As members who have some authority within this realm, I do hope you stop a minute to think about what you are willing to perpetuate and exacerbate…what morals are you willing to stand up for…if not for you, then for your children, if not your children then the children of others?
WHY SHOULD THE PROBLEM BE RESOLVED?
As I mentioned earlier, I completely agree and respect that there should be community guidelines in place for such a large and influential platform, but I’m sure Instagram (or Facebook) have more than enough resources to put together teams dedicated to having this work more consistently across the service. If Instagram are unwilling to employ the resources necessary to monitor such incidences on a case-by-case basis (I understand this is a lot of work with over 1 billion users), then they need to be more accountable in, perhaps, implementing algorithms that allow Instagrammers more responsibility in managing their accounts in a manner more conducive to ‘implemented’ community guidelines by allowing us insight into actions that appropriate potential deactivation.
I do feel, however, that if you have the resources available to answer to ‘reports’ on photos and the disabling of accounts, then you are more than capable to employ the resources necessary to handle and answer to those that wish to appeal the decision…or! Better yet! Resources that give accounts the opportunity to rectify the problem. A warning that their account is about to be disabled, deactivated, terminated.
As you’re aware, in running my account on Instagram as a ‘business’ account, I am allowed the option to view insights such as:
Impressions
Reach
profile views
amount of followers
demographic
website clicks
Not anywhere, or at all, does Instagram allow me insight into whether my account or any of my photos are being reported. Not once was I notified of such activity if it is the reason for my deactivation and ban. If certain insights on each individual photo are so readily available, we should also be given insight into whether our account and photos are being reported. So if Instagram and its deactivation guidelines are based on certain algorithms or ‘reviews’ from their ‘global team’, it is only fair that we’re able to view all relevant insights, especially if it is grounds for immediate deactivation or a ban.
Instagram need to stipulate specific guidelines as to what constitutes immediate deactivation, for e.g if your account is reported so many times…must remove a photo if it is reported such and such times etc. Giving the account user such information and insights puts the onus back onto the Instagrammer in taking the appropriate action to remedy a potential deactivation and also ensures that Instagram’s guidelines are still being adhered to. If the Instagrammer doesn’t take proactive measures and blatantly disregards the warnings, then so be it. They must deal with the repercussions.
If my account or certain photos were being reported, I should have been given notification, especially operating as a ‘business’ account. I should be given permission to view such insights into what may be ‘hurting’ my ‘business’. Even just an email warning me about a potential deactivation. If Instagram are going to give us the option to run our account as a ‘business’ account, then allow us the option to see, not only our assets, but our liabilities. Such insight and feedback is critical.
I believe that if Instagram are going to be a platform for which business is carried out over, they need to be more accountable and contactable. They need to be more business-like in their conduct. I feel that it is unfair that you can remain so elusive and unaccountable when you play such a significant role in so many people’s livelihood in this day and age.
I know you must receive so many emails of this kind. For you, I must just be one of the billion people, but by ignoring me…what are you really representing? And what realities are you willing to ignore? I hope that a sense of discernment can be employed here, and you appreciate the legitimacy of my reaching out.
WHAT AM I REQUESTING?
I am requesting VERIFICATION on my Instagram and Facebook accounts.
I feel that my account meets the requirements for verification for various reasons. Some of these reasons being that many would consider me a ‘public figure’, with over a combined 105K followers…I feel that I would be considered an ‘influencer’. Given my following, there is the concern that there will be copycats who do not uphold the integrity that I do. I also have my own Australian Business Number (ABN) through which I pay taxes and conduct business. I have a blog/website. I have also been featured in a lot of press, national and international. Some of my recent features include:
Appearing on Australian national TV on the series ‘Hughesy We Have a Problem’ with Dave Hughes.
A two-page spread in the August 2018 COSMOPOLITAN Australia.
A feature in Men’s Health magazine https://www.menshealth.com/trending-news/a19545263/nude-blogger-skinny-body-shaming/
And this is only a snippet of my featured press! I think that, in itself, legitimises the authenticity of my blog.
If these two accounts (above), which I personally love and follow and that aren’t too dissimilar to mine, are able to get verification, I believe I should be allowed verification also…otherwise you only prove my point of exacerbating double standards and discrimination.
I mean, if these above accounts are allowed verification, it would be an absolute mockery and contradiction to deny my account verification. I mean, Pornhub?? Seriously???? Some of these verified pages are basically pornographic…sexually suggestive to say the least!
I am also requesting a valid response from a person and not an automated robot. It has taken me days to write this (because this matter matters to me…and to you too I hope)…and I can only hope that the humanness in you presides and appreciates that this email warrant a genuine response.
I am not here asking for much. I am here asking for justice and a fair go. I hope you can see the legitimacy in my account and mission. I hope that, as individuals, as a company, as a corporation, as responsible stakeholders, you can stand up for what is right, for what is just.
These actions alone would give people hope, restore faith in those who have become indifferent toward your platform and its conduct.
It would be absolutely symbolic of making a stand for real body positivity. For real people. For the children. Goliath standing up for David. What a revolutionary feat!
Do we really want our children resenting us for being the ones who allowed double standards that contributed to a lack of self esteem? A feeling of worthlessness? Of never being good enough…pretty enough…thin enough…a feeling of incompleteness?
Or do we want to be the pioneers who championed self-acceptance, body-positivity and a healthy sense of body image? I choose the latter and I hope you’ll join me and support me in that.
I want for our children to be proud of the choices we made, even the ones nobody knew about as we sat behind our screens. I want for each and every one of us reading this to feel contentment in knowing that we made the CHOICE to stand up for what is just.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I sincerely appreciate your time and I hope we can work something out so that I can continue to spread my message far and wide, without constant worry about being banned or deactivated, and hopefully with Facebook and Instagram standing by my side, supporting a message that is bigger than us all.
I look forward to hearing back from you.
Warmest regards,
Jessa
Xx
Let’s band together and get this issue onto the table. The more voices, the more powerful we are…so please go forth and share this post.
Much love,
Jessa
Xx