Instagram has officially been told to free the nipple by Meta’s advisory board

After years of banned pictures and outrage, Instagram and Facebook have finally been officially told to free the nipple by Meta’s advisory board. The group, made up of academics, politicians, and journalists, told the company they recommended a change to its nudity and sexual activity community standard, which currently bans pictures of boobs.

Currently, Meta’s policy prohibits pictures of female nipples other than in particular instances like breast feeding or gender confirmation surgery. This policy was called “extensive and confusing, particularly as they apply to transgender and non-binary people,” in the latest recommendations.

The advice to liberate nipples on the feed was given to Meta after Facebook removed two posts from a topless transgender and non-binary couple— who had their nipples covered. Meta eventually reinstated the post, but the advisory board has still recommended Facebook and Instagram change its adult nudity guidelines.

The advisory board added that the current policy “creates confusion for users and moderators and, as Meta has recognised, leads to content being wrongly removed”. It claimed Meta’s policy is based “on a binary view of gender and a distinction between male and female bodies,” which, “makes it unclear how the rules apply to intersex, non-binary and transgender people”.

Meta was advised by the board to give clearer definitions within its nudity policies moving in the future, which “ensure all users are treated in a manner consistent with human rights standards”.

Meta has 60 days to respond publicly to the board’s recommendations and said in a statement: “We are constantly evaluating our policies to help make our platforms safer for everyone. We know more can be done to support the LGBTQ+ community, and that means working with experts and LGBTQ+ advocacy organisations on a range of issues and product improvements.”

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• This is why Girl Boss Instagram pisses you off so much 

• ‘Screengrab Them’: How one furious student took on an entire culture of misogyny in education 

• ‘I felt like less of a woman’: This is what it’s like to suffer from Vaginismus at uni