Words by Indi Scott Whitehouse
Illustration by Sian Hopkins
The censorship of nipples and breasts on social media has been a large talking point in recent years. As social media becomes an increasing prevalent part of modern life, it is necessary to question the sexist and arguably archaic restrictions it imposes.
What are the current rules and guidelines?
Instagram and Facebook allow post-mastectomy and breastfeeding images (but only if the infantÔÇÖs mouth is covering the nipple), and Facebook allow nude female breasts if they are involved in an ÔÇÿacts of protestÔÇÖ, or involved in a post about gender confirmation surgery. These are good indicators of a move towards more gender inclusive social media platforms. However, these guidelines are very loose, and leave room for a lot of overly sexualised discrimination. For example, what constitutes an ÔÇÿact of protestÔÇÖ? Of course, street demonstrations and public displays spring to mind, but does posting a topless selfie or more orchestrated photo not fall into the same category?
It would appear that social media platforms are trying to become more gender-inclusive, but still fall into conformity with the patriarchal roots of western society. Instagram gives the reasoning that they wish to keep their 12+ app store rating, so cannot permit explicit nudity on the site. Perhaps the issue is not the age of the users, but the fact that they are being raised in a society that teaches them that womenÔÇÖs bodies should be covered so as not to allude to an overtly sexual existence.
Even the rich and famous are not exempt from these rules. In April, Rihanna posted an image on Instagram from her Lui Magazine cover shoot, only for it to be abruptly taken down by the site.
Many social media sites use the defensive argument that this sexist censorship is to avoid the sexualisation of women. But does the censorship itself not feed the social ÔÇÿtabooÔÇÖ and common fetishization surrounding female breasts and thus increase their sexualisation? If cis males can pose topless in their new Calvin Klein underwear, why canÔÇÖt females? The majority of businesses profit hugely from the sexualisation of womenÔÇÖs naked bodies: in advertising, music, fashion, etc. Based on this, the censorship of nude inoffensive body confidence should not exist.
How is this issue being tackled?
The #FreeTheNipple campaign aims to tackle the stigma surrounding female nudity and the sexed inequality in the acceptance of male nipple both in public and online. The movement was inspired by Lina Esco and her 2014 film Free the Nipple in which women campaign for the right to be publicly topless and on par with men. Social media posts, events, demonstrations and celebrity involvement has seen a whole host of demographics come together to combat the over-sexualisation of cis-female nudity.
Artist Micol Hebron has created the ÔÇÿmale nipple pastyÔÇÖ a technique that provides close up (and ungendered or ÔÇÿmaleÔÇÖ) nipple images for people with breasts to paste over their own nipples in nude images. Hebron herself had images taken down by Facebook in 2014 when she was photographed topless at a breast cancer awareness exhibition. After reposting the images with the ÔÇÿmale nipple pastyÔÇÖ over her nipples, the pictures stayed up.
The @genderlessnipples Instagram page posts close-up images of nipples, and also draws attention to the heteronormative idea that ÔÇ£all females have breastsÔÇØ, which is not the case. And in their guidelines and rules, social media sites are also discriminating against this fact and the non-cisgender communities. This account is one of many contributing to #FreeTheNipple by highlighting the ironic ridiculous nature of the gendered social media rules.
The celebration vs. sexualisation of the female nipple
The cis-female nipple is something that should be celebrated. It has nourished a large majority of the human race and is more than just a component of pornography. Social media has the potential to be a successful outlet for body positivity and inclusivity. If female nudity became as normalised as male nudity, these images would represent more than just sex, and in reality, act as a celebration of the human body and its nourishing capabilities.
Strip clubs and porn companies profit hugely from female nudity, and female bodily autonomy is used as a bargaining chip in governmental negotiations and deals. With that in mind, why is it that the minute a woman expresses proud ownership of her body, it is considered shameful and unacceptable?
Individuals should be encouraged to celebrate their unique bodies in a safe and desexualised space. Social media has the potential to be an empowering outlet for individuals who wish to pose nude. In a developing society where gender is becoming an increasingly fluid psychological concept, the segregation and censorship policies based on two genders is a step in the wrong direction for social media sites.
In order for change to occur, it must be recognised that nudity and sex do not always exist in conjunction, and society must break down the misogynistic ideals surrounding nudity.