HEY, FACEBOOK, BREASTFEEDING IS NOT OBSCENE!
These pages are dedicated to breastfeeding women everywhere. They provide what is needed in the start of life. Breastfeeding is a very important act in nurturing children, and often a highlight in the life and memory of women, as the photos below suggest.
GO TO PAGE 6 (the first page of these photos)
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Here we present the sixth page of photos banned from the social utility Facebook, as well as a few that haven't been. With several hundred million users, Facebook still removes from its pages photographs of women breastfeeding, despite complaints about that practice beginning as long ago as June 2007.
Facebook claimed that breastfeeding photos violated its terms of service if they showed "an entire breast." Eventually it dropped the vagueness and the euphemism and claimed that all photos with a visible nipple or areola were "obscene," "pornographic," or "sexually explicit." This claim by Facebook is at odds with legislation, case law, and actual practice throughout the USA. In addition, breastfeeding itself is allowed in public, exposed breasts or not, in almost all states in the country. By its attitude and action, Facebook is wrong. It demeans and stigmatizes women and breastfeeding.
In May 2009, the same Facebook spokesperson responsible for the above claims said that Facebook removes only a small number of photos of naked women breastfeeding. That would be funny if it weren't so ignorant. Facebook also claims that images of breasts harm children. That's absurd. Facebook wrongly uses children as an excuse for its immaturity and errors.
Facebook is undoubtedly a great utility, both useful and fun. Its worldwide acceptance on the Internet confers upon it a responsibility to do better.
The protest against Facebook's removal of many breastfeeding photos isn't really about legality. It's not even about rights. It's about what is right.
Number of photos in this collection: 416. Of those, 400 have been banned, some more than once. The few others are here for comparison. Comments from the photos' owners are often illuminating. Note that many thousands more photos have been banned than we have collected.
In recent times, whole accounts have been removed by Facebook over one beautiful, important, helpful, legal photo. Facebook also uses inappropriate skin-recognition software to present targeted users with many randomly chosen photos of theirs to delete on threat of losing their account. Unlike comparable sites, Facebook has appointed itself the world's moralistic photo vigilante, deploying these and similar tactics well known from large tyrannical European states of the 20th century. Its ignorant, crass, inexcusable censorship, which it attempts to justify with glib spin that is false in every detail, also indirectly supports the USA's longstanding dehumanizing manipulation of women's bodies and its high rate of violence against them.
Our NON-DISCLAIMER re photos
Many sites would carry a warning: Keep away if you're under 18! NSFW!
We don't believe in that. Women's breasts in photos like these bother no one except those who have unfortunately been trained to be embarrassed by them or to control them when they have no right to.
We posted most of the photos at the same height. We acknowledge that some appeared on Facebook bigger, and a few smaller. The effect a photo has depends on size, among other things. Also, we cannot guarantee how things like colour or contrast appear, because they depend on individual monitors.
Photographs on this site are not to be reproduced in any location or in any medium or format without the prior consent of the owner of the photograph, except as permitted by law. Neither TERA nor its proprietors, members, or site host assumes any responsibility for what is posted, with which they may or may not agree. Comments may have been edited for clarity or legal reasons.
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More photos from Belinda Davies, banned February 20, 2010
Banned February 12 and March 9, 2010 |
This video of Christine's two-and-a-half-year-old daughter play-nursing her baby doll was banned on February 17, 2010. Click here or on the photo above to see the video. |
Banned February 19, 2010 "I'm including a picture that was taken by my husband on Feb. 16th. Three days later I got an e-mail from Facebook telling me it violated their rules and it was banned. My daughter is currently two months old. I fail to see what is so obscene about nursing a two-month old. I will continue to fight the good fight. I come from a family of women who believe in the power of breastfeeding." |
Banned February 24, 2010 |
Banned February 25, 2010 |
Photo from Renée Robichaud
Photo from Michelle Waites
Photo from Jo Slamen
Photo from Jamie Rhoads |
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Photos from Kylie Hall, banned February 22, 2010
Banned March 4, 2010 "I have actually had very positive feedback from friends and family with this picture! I see nothing wrong with it." |
Banned March 6, 2010 "Breastfeeding is a beautiful thing that should be encouraged because it is great for the baby. In this photo, I'm breastfeeding my four-week-old daughter, who was almost four weeks early. Facebook is plainly engaging in discrimination!" |
Photo from Andrée Schwartzentruber
Photo from Rihipeka Nock |
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The above three photos are from Nicole Beck. They were banned in late September 2009. On the right: Nicole with Adam and Eve!
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More above from Nicole Beck. The photo above left was also banned in late September 2009. The other two above were banned
(respectively) about July 20, 2009 and a little earlier in July.
"The shot of me in the pool nursing got the most backlash---from Facebook deleting my profile to a mother on Circle of Moms
attacking me, telling me that 'You are a pervert for posting a BF picture on the Internet. It is child abuse and unchristian. It is really
gross that you allow your child to eat in the pool in front of others."
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Still more from Nicole Beck (above). The one on the left was banned in February 2009, the other two in mid-August 2009.
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Above: the last pair from Nicole Beck, of her sister Candice and her baby (left), and both babies (right). The photo
on the left was banned in February 2009 and the one on the right in the spring of 2009.
Banned March 8, 2010 (International Women's Day) |
Photo from Yaheli Concepción |
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Photos from Barb Smalley, banned February 14 and 15, 2010
"My daughter is now 3 years and 4 months and still nurses in the morning, at nap time, and in the evening before bed. Other than that, only
when she feels insecure, hurts hurself, or is upset or bored---and then it is only for a few moments.
"I take much pride in my photos and have never had any of this happen until I started advocating breastfeeding all over Facebook. I feel violated
for my right to give my child what she needs and for my right to display my photos for something that is truly natural and not sexualy explicit. I am
angry and outraged and livid at Facebook, and at the people who keep reporting parents for their advocating and posting of photos of mothers
breastfeeding their children. This has got to stop!"
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Along with the first photo (Barb Smalley in blue, looking at the camera), the five immediately above of her were banned from her
"nursing photos" folder on February 15, 2010.
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Banned (left) November 2008 and (right) March 9, 2010
These photos are from Heather Farley, who was at Facebook's location in person for the major protest at the end of December 2008.
Another of her banned photos is on page 6.
GO TO PAGE 6 (the first page of these photos)
GO TO PAGE 7 (more photos)
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