-
-
-
On Newsstands Now!
Check out the May 2012 issue: raw stories, shocking confessions, candid advice about motherhood—and more!
-
What Does Facebook Have Against Breastfeeding?
January 25th, 2012
By Caitlin Connelly
Photography by myllissa via Flickr (CC)
Social networking giant Facebook recently refueled its drama with breastfeeding moms after photos of a B.C. woman nursing her baby were taken down from the site earlier this month. It’s not the first time this has happened—you may remember the reports back in 2009 when several women noticed that their so-called “obscene” nursing photos had been removed from their profiles for what was said to be a violation of Facebook’s policies regarding obscenity, nudity, and sexually explicit content.
According to Facebook’s own FAQ page, snapshots of breastfeeding mothers are allowed on the site. However, the FAQ specifies that “photos that show a fully exposed breast where the child is not actively engaged in nursing do violate Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. These policies are based on the same standards which apply to television and print media. ”
Emma Kwasnica, a breastfeeding mother, advocate and educator from B.C. who called Facebook out on their actions earlier this month when her photos were removed, had a conference call with the site’s policy makers last week. In a note posted on her Facebook profile, Kwasnica shared the disappointing outcome of their chat:
“It is obvious to me now that Facebook really has lost control of their network, especially when their written policy clearly states they support the sharing of breastfeeding images, yet they say they cannot control the actions of their employees who are continuing to remove breastfeeding images and block accounts of the users who post them—most all of it ‘in error.’ This is exasperating to me.”
You can read her full post here. Kwasnica, along with other breastfeeding mothers, plans to stage a nurse-in at Facebook offices around the world on February 6, 2012.
Do you think that breastfeeding pictures are inappropriate for Facebook?
Copyright © 2012 St. Joseph Media. All Rights Reserved.