Beija London

NAME: Jo/Joanna
PLATFORM & USERNAME: Instagram @beijalondon
CENSORSHIP: Shadow & content ban

What reason was given for your ban?

Taken down for ‘adult content’.

Why do you think your post(s) was censored?

Because we show ‘too much skin’ or ‘female nipples’ to promote our lingerie brand. Because we show real bodies in their natural form.

Were you able to appeal and what was the response?

Yes, no change.

What effect has your experience of censorship had on you?

Social media and advertising giants are a great force which controls how women are represented. Female ‘nudity’ is managed in such a way that the images we’re served are heavily censored and often totally hyper-sexualised. ‘Female nipples’, and ‘excessive visible skin’ would all be deemed a violation of community guidelines regardless of the intent. Our brand is penalised constantly for this which affects our reach as an independent brand.

What’s one thing you want people to know about this topic?

Is a female body inherently sexual for merely existing?

We are standing up for our right to freedom to express ourselves exactly as we are. If the female body was seen in its true form all the time as it is in other cultures, it would not be so intensely eroticised. We have started a petition and would love to share our new campaign ‘This Is Me’ far and wide with your communities help #thisisnotadultcontent.