30/9/22, 14:55
Oversight Board | Independent Judgment. Transparency. Legitimacy.
IG-7THR3SI1
Breast cancer symptoms and nudity
To read this decision in Brazilian Portuguese click here.
Para ler a decisão completa em Português do Brasil, clique aqui.
Case Summary
The Oversight Board has overturned Facebook’s decision to remove a post on Instagram.
After the Board selected this case, Facebook restored the content. Facebook’s
automated systems originally removed the post for violating the company’s Community
Standard on Adult Nudity and Sexual Activity. The Board found that the post was allowed
under a policy exception for “breast cancer awareness” and Facebook’s automated
moderation in this case raises important human rights concerns.
About the case
In October 2020, a user in Brazil posted a picture to Instagram with a title in Portuguese
indicating that it was to raise awareness of signs of breast cancer. The image was pink, in
line with “Pink October,” an international campaign to raise awareness of this disease.
Eight photographs within the picture showed breast cancer symptoms with
corresponding descriptions. Five of them included visible and uncovered female nipples,
while the remaining three photographs included female breasts, with the nipples either
out of shot or covered by a hand. The post was removed by an automated system
enforcing Facebook’s Community Standard on Adult Nudity and Sexual Activity. After the
Board selected the case, Facebook determined this was an error and restored the post.
Key findings
https://www.oversightboard.com/decision/IG-7THR3SI1
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