Earlier this year the FB v. Breastfeeding team started receiving reports of this new way of handling breastfeeding photos reported as nudity or pornography by other users. Instead of its usual heavy-handed practice of one-way communication with the photo owner only after removing the photo, the social network is now using a beta reporting system that informs people that a photo has been reported and offers a feedback mechanism prior to removal.
Emma Kwasnica, who hasn't had any photo removals in 18 months, experienced this new way of handling the situation earlier this week. She received this notice saying one of her photos had been reported.
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| Emma Kwasnica receives this notice that one of her breastfeeding photos has been reported |
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| Facebook reviews the image, determines the report is without merit, and leaves the photo up. |
But does it solve the problem?
No.
Facebook hasn't issued any public communication about this, and it hasn't offered information about the new system in communication with the FB v. Breastfeeding team, but we've pieced together a pretty clear picture of how it works, and we have the following suggestions for improving it.
1) Make the "delete" image the LAST option:
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| From the Facebook Breastfeeding Images Survey |
2) Make the "feedback" meaningful:
Women who have their photos reported and who are angry need to be able to express that anger and frustration, and they need a feedback mechanism to accommodate that. Some women, like Emma Kwasnica, like Cherie Raymond who runs the Beautiful Breastfeeding page, and like Murielle Bourbao in France have been repeatedly targeted by cyberbullies to the point where their accounts are routinely taken down for 30 days for photos that do not violate Facebook's terms. Up until now Facebook has only offered public apologies when women have complained through mainstream media, and Facebook's apologies feel pretty empty to the women who have suffered through repeated account disabling and bans. The network provides a "Facebook Team" to meet the needs of major advertisers, and we would like to see them assign a Facebook Team to Breastfeeding to fix the problems that are caused by inappropriate breastfeeding photo removals.
3. Work hard to regain trust
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| This image was banned repeatedly even though is complies with Facebook guidelines. |
When Amy first received a message from Facebook saying one of her breastfeeding photos had been reported, she didn't trust Facebook to review it correctly, since she had personal experience of her photo being banned even though it falls within Facebook's guidelines.
So instead she repeatedly removed and reuploaded the photo to avoid what she thought would be another unfair ban. And it was repeatedly reported by her harasser. Finally, she decided to let Facebook make the call, and they allowed the photo to stay. But it was stressful for Amy, and we expect other women need Facebook to provide reassurance that they truly have fixed this problem before they are able to trust that this new system is working as it should.
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| Amy McNally's response to the new Facebook reporting system. |
4. Identify and stop cyberbullies and anonymous harassment
Facebook needs to take steps to protect people who share breastfeeding images from being harassed and bullied. We know people use Facebook's flawed system to target users, and it has to stop. We have heard many reports of mothers, breastfeeding advocates, and educators who are self-censoring because of fear that their accounts will be disabled. This needs to change.
5. Bring this new reporting system out of beta and into regular use.
Because there are still many breastfeeding photos being removed under the old system and users are still being banned arbitrarily with no opportunity to provide feedback or to appeal. The Facebook vs. Breastfeeding team has experienced at least a half dozen of these bans since March.
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The first photo is circa 1950 from what is now called
Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam, and the second is a
19th century French photograph, c. 1890,
from the Bridgeman Art Library.
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Facebook continues to act arbitrarily, with little concern for its users. What we are hoping to see is a time when Facebook will show as much respect for its individual users as it does for corporate advertisers. Because that is what this is all about – respect for users. Respect for breastfeeding.
Update, July 21, 1 p.m.Emma Kwasnica has shared the screen snapshots of the Feedback portion of Facebook's new system. You can see them here in this Facebook album. Emma Kwasnica's response to Facebook's request for feedback on breastfeeding photo reports and removals.
Update, July 21, 1 p.m.Emma Kwasnica has shared the screen snapshots of the Feedback portion of Facebook's new system. You can see them here in this Facebook album. Emma Kwasnica's response to Facebook's request for feedback on breastfeeding photo reports and removals.
I hate the Facebook rules too. But I do want to point out that the historic photos that were removed really do violate their policy. One shows a baby actively feeding but the other breast is exposed. The other shows a baby not actively feeding, just has her head next to an exposed breast. I don't think they should be considered bad but I understand why they were removed. It's the photos of babies actively nursing with no exposed breast that are removed which upset me.
ReplyDeleteIt is really sad that an artistic photo is seen as sleazy..pornographic. Would the same be said about David? Any of the amazing masterpieces that we have? It is hypocritical and shows double standards. We have a law in New York where woman are allowed to be topless.
ReplyDeleteThe whole policy needs to be looked at once again - if it is truly sexual in nature then I would be perturbed, but a breast, with a baby near it - really...that is not disturbing at all.
Cassandra, Facebook is pretty arbitrary in what it removes, still - it's not like exposed nipple images are the ONLY breastfeeding photos that are still being taken down. Facebook still routinely removes photos with very little skin exposed, simply because they have been reported.
ReplyDeleteFacebook needs to refine their policy and their practices further. They have done a great job removing references to nipples and areola when it comes to breastfeeding images (although they still need to educate their own staff about this, recently a PR spokesperson told the media this is still their policy - it hasn't been for 4-5 years!) The phrase, "fully exposed breast where the child is not actively engaged in nursing " is still confusing.
I think the photo on the right is clearly a child actively engaged in nursing - children pop on and off the breast all the time when they are actively breastfeeding. In fact. Mr. Rogers, the US PBS children's educational program, has an episode that teaches children how female mammals feed their young. In it, a woman is shown breastfeeding, and the film sequence shows the baby at the breast, and then breaking away during the breastfeeding session to smile up at the mother. The full breast and nipple is exposed, and milk is showing coming out of the nipple. What an excellent visual for children learning about breastfeeding! We don't get any more mainstream in US culture than Mr. Rogers.
As for the second bare breast, if the photo shows breastfeeding, a second bare breast isn't something that should worry anyone. Many of the exposed breast photos are historical, as these are, or are of indigenous people who are portrayed the way they live every day. It's completely normal for them, and these are images that routinely appear in publications like National Geographic - Facebook says uses mainstream media its guide. As noted, Facebook is comfortable with the sharing of photos of art such as the full frontal nudity of Michelangelo's David.
Refusing to allow photos with a second bare breast becomes more problematic when we consider that parents want to share images of their newborn babies. Health care authorities advise that babies should be skin-to-skin on their mother's chest for the first hours after birth, and in that time the newborn roots and finds and begins to breastfeed for the first time. Those are the images we should be seeing on Facebook. as a way explaining and normalizing this very important part of the third stage of birth. Many of baby's first latch photos show the mother's second breast or nipple. No mother should have to worry about covering up her body at this time because they might want to later share these first images of a new baby, or baby's first latch.
It is for these reason that I continue to push Facebook to further relax their rules around breastfeeding images.
Without these images, Facebook becomes another place where society's perceptions of breastfeeding are distorted.
Thank you for this update. I did not realize this was such a problem on Facebook. What an irony in this culture that breastfeeding and a momentary interruption of the suckling child would be vilified and censored.It's no wonder that so many women are so inhibited that they either don't attempt nursing or give up easily..I've seen it many times.
ReplyDeleteoh come on . . . it's perfectly clear why beheading videos are allowed but breastfeeding aren't . . . men (generalisation alert) are gung ho about violence, but a tad less so about female (non erotic) nudity. Now, if a woman was running the show . . .
ReplyDelete