The rise of content containing sexual innuendo has led to the evolution of mass communication. It was the initial reaction to Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press that started this trend. Every advance in methodology has been met with a backlash. This includes a moral panic, a book burning, and the constant threats of gun violence.
Despite the various steps that have been taken to prevent the spread of sexual content on the internet, it has still not stopped social media companies and advertisers from working to remove it. In her new book, Samantha Cole talks about how these companies have been able to strangle the flow of sexual speech online.
The rise of algorithmic and human censorship has drastically changed the way people post pornography online. This has led to the disqualification of sex workers from sites such as Twitter and Instagram, as well as companies like Brazzers, which allow users to display full nudity.
Since its inception, Facebook has been very strict about its policies on sex and nudity. It has gone through several changes and evolutions over the years. In 2022, it still prohibits content that includes “real nude adults,” “sexual intercourse,” and other things that may suggest sexually-explicit content. Despite this, artists and writers still fight against these bans.
Aside from porn, Facebook also prohibits the discussion of sexual arousal and the exchange of sexual emojis. This includes topics such as “sexual arousal,” “sexual emojis,” and “sexual slang.”
In the early versions of its terms of use, Facebook didn’t explicitly ban sex. However, it did prohibit content that it deemed to be harmful or threatening. This vagueness allows the company to still ban various types of content.
In 2007, Facebook started to take a more welcoming approach toward sexual speech. It allowed users to discuss topics such as “sex” and “sexual arousal.” However, this was met with criticism. In 2007, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo conducted a sting operation on the company.
In 2008, Facebook started to ban female breasts. This violation of its policy on sexually explicit or obscene content violated the company’s policy on “obscene, sexual, pornographic, or sexually explicit materials.” A few women demonstrated outside the company’s office in December 2008.
Dil Bole Oberoi
