Kasia

NAME: Kasia
PLATFORM & USERNAME: Instagram @Skinny_red_art
CENSORSHIP: Content, shadow & account ban

What reason was given for your ban?

It claimed to be sexual content or sexual activity each time.

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

I guess it was because it had been reported at first, and then the algorithm was flagging my posts and account. It started also being a problem when I started working with mental health awareness and I was shadow banned when I started using hashtags such as #mentalhealthawareness or #depression.

Were you able to appeal and what was the response?

Yes, only once did my post come back to my profile. But once they removed my account I appealed for 3 months and I didn’t receive any response at all from the Instagram team.

What effect has your experience of censorship had on you?

I started censoring my ideas before even creating art such as photos or performances. Everything I created was to be able to share, so this has forced me to censor my thoughts and ideas, it causes me stress, loss of contacts and work. I stopped believing in my ideas and my art, feeling like I’m not good enough.

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

We, artists, should be able to express ourselves without being silenced and pushed to the corner.