LOS ANGELES – NBC News has published a report detailing Instagram's censorship of content related to sex and sexuality, alongside claims of discrimination against sex workers and adult performers. The report highlights concerns from adult industry professionals regarding inconsistent moderation and the impact on their livelihoods.
Instagram's Moderation Practices Under Scrutiny
The NBC News report, authored by digital tech and culture reporter Kat Tenbarge, includes testimony from adult performers, commentators, and activists. Among those featured are Cherie DeVille and Abigail Mac, who shared their experiences with Instagram's content moderation.
Cherie DeVille, a porn star with an OnlyFans account, stated that she lives in "perpetual fear of losing her 3.7 million Instagram followers." DeVille described experiencing an "adrenaline rush" every morning when logging into her phone, wondering if she has "lost her career." She noted that platforms like Instagram have become "completely invaluable" over the past seven years for driving traffic to personal websites where performers earn money. DeVille, along with others, believes that Instagram's moderation efforts have become "more punitive and less predictable" since policies were implemented in 2018, following the passage of SESTA-FOSTA, a federal law targeting human trafficking on the internet.
Abigail Mac reported that her Instagram account has been suspended at least four times. She stated that regaining access involved "emailing Instagram 10 to 15 times every day for three to four weeks."
Tenbarge's report indicates that for adult influencers, platforms such as Instagram are "completely invaluable" for directing traffic to personal websites where performers generate income. The report also notes that while individuals like DeVille have historically navigated Instagram's rules carefully, many perceive the company's moderation efforts as having become "more punitive and less predictable" since the enactment of SESTA-FOSTA.
Inconsistent Enforcement and Impact on Sex Workers
Ten individuals in the sex-work industry who spoke with NBC News stated they "go to great lengths to stay within the boundaries of Instagram’s guidelines, keenly aware that their content could be struck and their accounts restricted at any moment." Despite these efforts, they reported that Instagram has removed their content and/or banned or suspended them, even when they believed they were adhering to the platform’s rules.
These sex workers also informed NBC News that Instagram’s guidelines are inconsistently enforced, particularly when compared to content posted by mainstream celebrities. Many adult performers who spoke with NBC News expressed that they feel these guidelines are not enforced consistently, citing celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Britney Spears who post "risqué and near-nude photos" without facing the same bans.
A Meta spokesperson provided a statement to NBC News, which did not address the inconsistencies in moderation. Instead, the statement referenced a prioritized consideration for "our youngest users when we decide what we do as well as don't permit on Instagram, as teens as young as 13 use our system."
However, Tenbarge observed that "the moderation around sex has become so sweeping that a wide variety of accounts—not just porn entertainers—have faced restrictions that they deem baseless." This includes the business account of Pornhub, described as "one of the biggest pornography websites in the world," as well as sex educators and non-pornographic OnlyFans creators. NBC News also reported that Instagram's broad anti-sex stance has extended to sex education accounts.
New Features to Address "Sextortion"
In a separate development, Instagram announced on April 11, 2024, that it plans to test a new "nudity protection" feature aimed at curbing "sextortion" on its platform. This feature, which will automatically be enabled for users under 18, is designed to help prevent users from receiving unwanted sexual images and to encourage "people to think twice before sending nude images."
The "nudity protection" feature will blur images detected as containing nudity and display a warning that reads, "Photo may contain nudity." Additionally, the platform stated it will send messages to users "reminding them to be cautious when sending sensitive photos, and that they can unsend these photos if they’ve changed their mind." Users will also be directed to Meta’s Safety Center and support helplines.
Instagram stated that these updates "build on our longstanding work to help protect young people from unwanted or potentially harmful contact." The platform noted that it "default teens into stricter message settings so they can’t be messaged by anyone they’re not already connected to, show Safety Notices to teens who are already in contact with potential scam accounts, and offer a dedicated option for people to report DMs that are threatening to share private images." This announcement comes amidst increasing efforts to regulate social media in the U.S. due to concerns about online child safety.
Key Facts
- NBC News published a report on February 10, 2023, detailing Instagram's "sex censorship" and "sex worker discrimination."
- The report was written by Kat Tenbarge, NBC News digital tech and culture reporter.
- Adult performers Cherie DeVille and Abigail Mac provided testimony regarding account suspensions and fear of losing followers.
- Cherie DeVille stated she lives in "perpetual fear of losing her 3.7 million Instagram followers."
- Abigail Mac reported her account was suspended at least four times, requiring extensive email communication to restore.
- Sex workers told NBC News that Instagram's guidelines are inconsistently enforced, particularly compared to mainstream celebrities.
- A Meta spokesperson's statement to NBC News referenced protecting "youngest users" and did not address moderation inconsistencies.
- Instagram announced on April 11, 2024, it would test a "nudity protection" feature to combat "sextortion," which will automatically blur nudity for users under 18.
