Is Facebook against moms?

Mar 02, 2011 8:00 AM by Kim Grundy

Posted in Parenting / Parenting Tips & Advice / Mom & Dad

Are Facebook's
Policies Anti-Parent?

First came reports that Facebook was banning photos of women breastfeeding, then one woman said they banned her pregnancy portrait. What gives?

shocked woman on computer

Moms make up a large population of Facebook users. After all, it is the perfect forum to share baby pictures, chat with other moms and friends and stay in touch with long-distance relatives. Recent actions taken by Facebook have many parents feeling like Facebook is not supporting them back.

Pregnancy photo banned

Mom Angela Hurst had professional nude pregnancy portraits taken in which she was posed Demi-Moore style with her hands covering up her private parts.

"The picture was a bit of fun and not at all seedy -- all my 'bits' were covered. I had a lot of messages from people, particularly women, saying how much they loved it," she told The Sun.

She loved it so much she made it her profile picture on Facebook. However, three days later Facebook banned it, saying: "Our rules prohibit nudity on the site."

"It was something nice to remember my pregnancy by and was not sexual, and if Demi Moore can do it, why can't I?" said Hurst.

I have to agree with Hurst on this one. All of her private parts were apparently covered – and the intent wasn't to post a provocative picture, but to celebrate her pregnancy. I would not personally post a picture of myself like this on Facebook, but should it really be banned?

Does facebook think breastfeeding is obscene?

Many moms complained after Facebook deleted their accounts without warning after posting one breastfeeding picture, while photos of scantily dressed women in provocative photos remain.

The Leaky B@@b is one breastfeeding support group that had a war of words with Facebook after they deleted their account for posting breastfeeding photos. The Leaky B@@b issued a statement asking Facebook to quit treating breastfeeding "as an obscenity."

Facebook did eventually re-instate their account and issued an apology. Facebook does have a huge task in making sure pornographic images stay off their site (and for that, many parents can thank them), but where should they draw the line?

Jessica Martin-Weber, the founder of The Leaky B@@b said it best:

"Facebook has a responsibility to its customers to clearly communicate that they are pro-women by creating a new way to moderate materials flagged as obscene. No doubt the company is overwhelmed with reports of obscenity but surely they are smart enough to develop a system that would allow them to remove the truly obscene materials while those related to breast health including breastfeeding and breast cancer are able to remain. I appreciate your efforts to keep pornographic images off Facebook, I really do but please, breastfeeding is not pornographic."