Taylor Sutton

NAME: Taylor Sutton
PLATFORM & USERNAME: Instagram @Taylez1408 Tik Tok – @TaylorJ.Sutton
CENSORSHIP: Shadow & content ban

What reason was given for your ban?

Violence and Gore.

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

Because I used fake Blood! And then because I refused to have my gory work censored because that’s what I do, they decided I am not “safe” or “family-friendly” enough, I think?

Were you able to appeal and what was the response?

Yes, I did appeal! Far more often than not, my work is NOT reinstated; meanwhile, I’ve seen videos of cows being skinned…. But that’s not violent or gory?

What effect has your experience of censorship had on you?

I think for everyone it really throws you. You can’t create the work you truly want to create for fear that it’ll be futile; you won’t get any engagement and the algorithm will censor you and put you in a rut.  It causes you to have to alter your style and your passions to morph into what the algorithm wants; completely obliterating the definition and subjectivity of art?!

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

That my work obviously isn’t real gore?!

That there is a hyper sensitisation on social media because it isn’t family-friendly. Meanwhile, social media is NOT intended for children? Instagram is stated to be for those 12+, who are going to be able to tell whether something is real or not? The fear of being brand UNfriendly is ruining the industry because it’s forcing everyone to be more similar, meaning art is becoming less and less and less varied and individual.