Instagram’s censorship policing has come under criticism yet again after a model says his thirst trap was taken down.
Kenny Ethan Jones says he received an email from the Facebook-owned company after his shot was removed, informing him it violated posting policy for featuring “nudity or sexual activity.”
And while the photo is certainly sexy, Jones says there’s no good reason for it to have been censored while photos of cis men showing more skin are so prevalent.
The mode, who is trans, wrote to Instagram: “I don’t believe I’m breaking any rules. It’s pretty unsettling when I can literally scroll down my explorer page right now and find CIS men more naked than I am in that photo but yet, mine gets removed.”
He also posted a new version of the image to his feed with the Instagram logo superimposed, along with this update:
I’m in conversation with @instagram to rectify this issue, they are being very understanding and helpful, in fact come Monday (I’m speaking to them outside of working hours so nothing can be done yet) I don’t think this will even be an issue. They have also agreed to jump on a call with me to discuss policies in more detail as this can be a common problem amongst models. I’m very happy with that way this situation is being handled but I’m still mad that it got taken down so f*ck it.
Instagram was also recently criticized for banning ads for PrEP directed at gay and bi men for being too political.
Here’s some more from Jones’ feed that hasn’t been censored:
drmiller
Okay, I think the entire world can use a lesson on how platforms like IG work. It is impossible for there to be a human moderator for every single photo that is posted to their platform. Usually what they have in place is a machine learning tool that helps them flag inappropriate photos (however they define them; which as a private company they define that however they want). What usually happens here is their machine learning system flags a photo and it’s taken down. When this happens, all the user has to do is submit some kind of ticket or consumer request to have it reinstated. When that happens a human (as opposed to a computer) can re-review the photo and allow it to be published. Problem solved. People take this so personally, but that’s really not the case. This guy really needs to calm down, it’s not that big of a deal. His “modeling” photo (please, you’re taking a thirst trap nude selfie in front of a mirror) is a completely reasonable photo to get flagged by a system who’s job is to weed out pictures it was trained to locate. All that being said, IG clearly needs to work on whatever system is doing this, and/or maybe expand (or restrict?) their guidelines or rules on what they deem to be appropriate. But, again, as a private company they aren’t obligated to do anything. Stop acting so entitled. Good grief.
xanadude
It is interesting, though, that bare ass photos on IG are a dime a dozen. Is that within the standards, then, and therefore not (auto-)flagged? NOT that I’m complaining.
Kangol2
@xanadude, yes, you can show a bare adult male ass, but no frontal genitalia. You also can show a bare adult female ass, but no frontal genitalia or visible female nipples. Male bare chests and nipples yes, female breasts and bare nipples no.
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
Whether it a real live person or AI that flagged these pics I can agree they are inappropriate. Look closely where his hands are in the nude pic. No, I would not have allowed it either. Its disgusting.
1898
i’m more concerned about the fact that i’ve begun seeing tons of pro-Trump / anti-Democratic propaganda in my Explore feed every time i use the Instagram app. i’ve been using Instagram for five years and i have never searched for or “liked” pro-Trump content, which means such content should not be appearing in my feed (it’s supposed to show you stuff that is relevant to what you like or search for). the fact that this started happening two weeks ago, very suddenly and conspicuously, makes me wonder suspicious as hell. Instagram is owned by Facebook after all…
RIGay
I see it here on Queerty, too. This innocuous “trivia” questions on the right and side have had a very pro-Trump slant to them in recent months, often not providing any other option other than to be pro-Trump/pro-GOP.
It is sad to think that that little innocuous trivia feed is also feeding a marketing engine on the back end; someone is making money off the key-click.
Goforit
Uhmmm, Queerty, you do realize that in a story where you criticize IG for censoring a photo, you censor the very same photo? Do you see the irony in that?
ShiningSex
Good point, but those pics are stupid anyways
Brian
They also reprinted the caption with a censored F word even though the uncensored word is right above it.
D_Bro
The photo was self censored by the model himself so it would be IG legal.
ShiningSex
DUH!!!!!!
Those kind of posts are stupid anyways.
If you want to show your c*ck, do porn or shut up.
rustyiam
Ugh I’m sorry I clicked on this thread those pics made me want to hurl!
kernowcraig
What’s up Picasso! He embarrassing you?
Kangol2
You as predictable as a crap after two cups of coffee.
Goforit
Kalgol2.… Ha! My husband and I call our morning “evacuations” (after 2 cups of coffee of course) “Putin” and “taking a Trump”. I like the idea of naming the results “Rusty”.
G R
After hand/finger tatts where is there to go? Mess.
boymikefl
Zuckerberg must be stopped. His unscrupulous behavior got Trump elected & may do it again. Money is the root of all evil.
rustyiam
Hillary and the leftists got Trump elected!
surfpenis
I don’t really see anything thirst worthy in these particular photos.
alexpof
im tired of the “cis men” word, we are natural born men, please stop calling us cis men, stop making new no sense words.. its ok to you to be called trans men but the rest of us are just men
mz.sam
No shit (cis), Sherlock!
mz.sam
Sorry, no thirst here…got lots of oral lube handy.
Karrnal
Dear drmiller;
Your comment is illuminating. But in the construction, “a system who’s job is to weed out pictures,” what you meant was “whose.”The contraction who’s reads as who is. What you’ve written is, “a system who is job is to weed out pictures.”
Thanks for listening.
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
I stand with IG. I can do without looking at this “guy” obviously fingering and masturbating for all to see. Come back with some other TALENT and we’ll talk.