Facebook's breast fight

[Lina]

I don't know if anyone has read the Times today, but facebook has deemed images of breastfeeding more offensive than severe bodily disfigurements such as deep flesh wounds, excessive blood, crushed head and limbs and even death. Therefore images of one of the most beautiful and natural acts are banned on the site.

Are you offended?, Thoughts..

 

[flubdub]

I have been reading a lot about this as a few FB groups regularly discuss it (Analytical Armadillo and Evolutionary Parenting, incase you wanted to check them out ) Although fb have apologised and changed their criteria for removing photos - theyre still doing it!!
I think its ridiculous and bloody awful and it just keeps backing up the attitude that breastfeeding is not normal and should be hidden away in a grungy toilet somehere. Its really disheartening.

 

[Lina]

Yes I have seen that too, recently a natural parenting page was banned for uploading a picture of a placenta. It is madness to allow disturbing images of severed limbs and death but veto peaceful natural acts.

 

[Lightworker]

Yeah..there was a protest on the 6th of Feb, and I changed my profile pic of one with me and LO nursing, it stayed on for a couple of weeks, wasn't taken down which was good. However, FB released a statement saying that they would only take down the most revealing pics for the sake of the "youngsters who use FB" as it was for their "protection".

That was worse than not releasing a statement as it is akin to saying that exposing young people to FB is tantamount to some sort of abuse!

I never followed it up..i am too sleep deprived at the mo..lol..but I don't know what the position is now. FB are ludicrous as there's naked pics on FB, and I mean full frontals..so I don't understand why they take this view. I don't know if FB is sponsored by certain companies that make FM, or maybe thats just me over thinking things.

 

[caz81]

FB is screwed up, I reported someones status (who I have also removed from friend) which was 'I f*cking hate Muslims (no * in theirs though!) and nothing was done about it but they remove breast feeding photos?!

 

[flubdub]

FB is screwed up, I reported someones status (who I have also removed from friend) which was 'I f*cking hate Muslims (no * in theirs though!) and nothing was done about it but they remove breast feeding photos?!

 

[Lightworker]

Thats bananas..I would have copied that screen and publicized the inequity.

 

[tina3747]

Wow!!
There's probably 6 of my fb 'friends' regularly with there's boobs out... Nothing to do with feeding a baby just attention seeking.
Whe I first heard this I thought it might just be propaganda ... Obviously not!
Maybe there should be a mass fb breast feed photo campaign...

 

[smelly07]

I have nothing against BF and photos of BF etc, and i honestly think its ridiculous that facebook find these photos offensive and i have seen a lot worse in all honesty, although i personally wouldnt feel the need to put photos of myself BF on facebook but i also do not put photos of my girls on facebook naked of just in nappies or in the bath etc either as i guess thats just my personal preference. x

 

[Ju_bubbs]

I think it is absolutely disgusting that FB are sending out the message that BFing is disturbing! I flop them out to feed Indigo without even thinking about it, infront of my 12 and 8 year old sons.. and neither of them make anything of it, because they know it is Indigo's food!!! They would probably shout 'Ewww MUUUUM!' if I was to do it when Indigo wasn't feeding!

 

[sparkle_1979]

I think its wrong of fb but also cant really understand why you would put a pic of yourself breastfeeding on FB? But then again I dont understand why people put half the stuff I see on FB x

 

[SKATERBUN]

The majority of FB profiles are private anyway, if the user has friends/family they know and trust and respect then it goes both ways, its what its says Private, why should the makers of FB be concerned what the user is putting on their pages unless its a breach of the law?! They should keep their noses out, anyway I dont use FB, its stinks!

 

[KaceysMummy]

Ridiculous. People seriously are offended seeing breast feeding pictures.
There is far far far worse on facebook - maybe the should try eliminating all the offensive groups, and slogan pictures you see all the time on there... x

 

[Sarahkka]

I have heard of some incredibly offensive racist, bullying, and violent images on FB. I have heard of people making a big stink about them and FB either responding very slowly or allowing them to stay.
So when it comes to them speaking about their VERY selective censorship, the hypocrites don't have a leg to stand on.
I really think that people who are offended by nursing or by breastfeeding need to step back and ask themselves why? It is so bizarre to take offence at this. It doesn't make any sense to me at all.

To answer the question about why put nursing pics on FB - I put pics of kids eating birthday cake, stuffing their faces with spaghetti, and covered in their favourite dessert. It's a delightful and funny part of their babyhood. Nursing is a beautiful, loving part of their babyhood, too. Why would I regard it any differently than the other feeding pics?

 

[Lightworker]

^ awesome post x

 

[amandad192]

Yeah..there was a protest on the 6th of Feb, and I changed my profile pic of one with me and LO nursing, it stayed on for a couple of weeks, wasn't taken down which was good. However, FB released a statement saying that they would only take down the most revealing pics for the sake of the "youngsters who use FB" as it was for their "protection".

That was worse than not releasing a statement as it is akin to saying that exposing young people to FB is tantamount to some sort of abuse!

I never followed it up..i am too sleep deprived at the mo..lol..but I don't know what the position is now. FB are ludicrous as there's naked pics on FB, and I mean full frontals..so I don't understand why they take this view. I don't know if FB is sponsored by certain companies that make FM, or maybe thats just me over thinking things.

What youngsters? I thought to use facebook you were supposed to be over 13. At 13 I'd hope a child was mature enough to understand that boobs make milk and babies drink that milk.

But if facebook feels that youngsters should be protected from seeing breastfeeding then someone better call social services on me coz I openly nurse my daughter in front of my 2 yr old son

 

[smelly07]

It really is ridiculous (even though like i have said ...i feel no need to want to see a BF photo) that they are using that as a reason to removing them from facebook..?...........wtf is wrong with the world........... someone on my facebook is posting nearly naked women in sexual positions covered in tattoos.......... i think facebook need to concentrate on removing these images more than the BF one....BUT..........is it really for real? or is this a story like the muslims burning poppies and not being able to do the christmas nativity so we dont offend other cultures etc etc etc

 

[moomin_troll]

It's disgusting! I can't believe how Facebook are treating breastfeeding mothers feeding their babies, they wouldn't take down a photo and ban the mother if it was a bottle in their mouth.

I've seen far worse pics on Facebook, even pictures of underage drinkers but they are fine?

I don't have any pics of me feeding Corey but I've been tempted to because of this

 

[summer rain]

FB are idiots. There was a group on there that was anti-nazi and I was on it; and some far right 'activists' came on there and started making personal threats against me and some other people on there, as well as saying really racist and derogatory things, yet facebook would take no action against these people. It was only when I contacted the police that facebook took action, though they deleted the whole group which was actually of benefit and let most of those making threats keep their accounts nor were they particularly co-operative with the police in giving details about those who were making the threats etc. It was one reason I deleted my old FB account xx

 

[JASMAK]

My SIL wrote an offensive comment about my 8 year old son's penis. I asked her to take this comment off (her profile is public) and she refused. My husband and I both reported her, and nothing was ever done. So...it does pee me off when something as innocent as BFing is taken down. And for those who say why put one up...well, why not? No one would think twice about removing a bottle or soother out of their photos they want to put up... I have a couple newborn pics of me breastfeeding Kelana. No one has taken them down, but I would be very upset if someone did.


One question though...for FB to take these photos down, does someone have to complain first???