http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/facebook/4029868/Breastfeeding-photo-ban-by-Facebook-sparks-global-protest-by-mothers.html
Breastfeeding photo ban by Facebook sparks global protest by mothers
A global campaign has been launched by thousands of mothers against social networking site Facebook for banning photos of women breastfeeding.
By Urmee Khan, Digital and Media Correspondent Last Updated: 7:53AM GMT 31 Dec 2008
Mothers around the world have rallied agaist the policy which they say stigmatises breastfeeding and demeans women Photo: GETTY
Thousands of women have had their pictures of removed from profiles and online albums after they were classified as "obscene content" by the site. Many have also received warnings that they may be barred from using the site.
Mothers around the world have rallied agaist the policy and some have even picketed the Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, California - under the banner of the Mothers International Lactation Campaign, to complain about the policy which they say stigmatises breastfeeding and demeans women.
Over 82,000 people have joined a Facebook petition group "Hey Facebook, Breast-feeding is not Obscene" with hundreds joining every hour.
More than 11,000 people around the world took part in the 'Mothers International Lactation Campaign' through an online "nurse-in" protest on Saturday by posting more breastfeeding pictures. Many of these photos have been subsequently removed.
Facebook says the website takes no action over most breastfeeding photos because they follow the site's terms of use, but photos that showed nipples were indecent and had to be removed.
Barry Schnitt, a Facebook spokesman, said: "We agree that breastfeeding is natural and beautiful and we're very glad to know that it is so important to some mothers to share this experience with others on Facebook."
But, he added, some photos were removed to ensure the site remains safe and secure for all users, including children.
"Photos containing a fully exposed breast - as defined by showing the nipple or areola - do violate those terms on obscene, pornographic or sexually explicit material and may be removed," he said in a statement. "The photos we act upon are almost exclusively brought to our attention by other users who complain."
But mothers say that breastfeeding is natural and healthy and should be not bracketed with pornography.
Katherine Brierly, from Brighton, said: "BF is natural, and allows the mum to have food on tap 24/7, wherever she is, that is safe and in the right quantities and temperature at all times.
"Prudes like you would wish every mother to complicate their lives and potentially endanger their children's health so that you don't have to see a bit of nipple."
Nicky Cartwright Pashley, from Sheffield, said: "When I go to the beach I see people's asses and breasts exposed in bits of string pretending to be swimwear. I would much rather see the beauty and love of a mother feeding her baby than be subjected to complete strangers' gratuitous flesh flashing."
Earlier this month, Nicola Wood, 27, was reprimanded for breastfeeding her baby during a carol service at St Peter's Cathedral, Exeter.
"My little boy Theo, who is six months old, was getting hungry, so I started to breastfeed him, but all I could hear was a woman a few pews back moaning and saying, 'oh my God, how disgusting'," she said.
"Then she came up to me at the end of the service and said, 'as long as this cathedral has been open I have never seen anyone as disgusting as you in church. You might as well have been naked and peeing in the church'. It ruined the whole service for me."
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2 comments:
The Facebook has deleted breastfeeding photos on the plea that these are nude and offensive. It says it has deleted only those photos in which feeding breast is fully naked where it is the breas is not fully visible it still allows photos. It is the same hypocracy which many sites like Yahoo as the biggest one has. In Yahoo, for example, you go to yahoo vide search, search "breastfeeding videos". It will not only give you videos of children breast feeding but even adult breastfeeding and completely pornographic videos. You just save one of those in your "my videos yahoo account", your yahoo whole account including that of your email account will be deleted that you have violated the rules as Yahoo does not allow pornographis videos. Then what are those thousand and thousands fully naked hateful videos and images on the Yahoo collection seeing of which sometime a human being vomits. Facebook has the same hypocracy mentality. A mother's breastfeeding is the world's most holies thing. Some people of course do stare to the breast seeing a mother feeding, but these are those who can find sex even in their own mother and daughter. They have the dirty mentality. When a mother feeds, she is feeding the humanity. There is too cool impression and softness on her face then which can not be described even in volumes of books. She then nurtures a human being. While we make bombs and arms, she makes a true human being. The photograph of a mother nursing a child is the most Holiest photograph in the world. I am a married of 11 years without any child. Perhaps there would not be. How much I miss the real life despite having everything I can not describe my helplessness because I do not have a child. How much deep I wish that I also use my breasts for feeding a child but I can not. No one can calculated my helplessness only those mothers who by any fortunate medical reason are unable to bear a child. I used occassionally to see facebook breastfeeding mothers holy photographs which in my extreme loneliness gave me some soothness and sometime I imaged in those photographs myself feeding a child. The facebook has deleted those and I miss those too. I do not know where those account holders who had those photographs shifted their collection now. If anyone can hold give a little happiness to this childless mother by giving me any website where I can find similar photos of mothers feeding their children or those photographs which from facebook have shifted to other places. I am fully with those compaingers who are protesting on this and I am shoulder to shoulder with them. Those who are protesting on it, can guide me how I can share with them in this protest. mrsdevi@hotmail.com
The Facebook has deleted breastfeeding photos on the plea that these are nude and offensive. It says it has deleted only those photos in which feeding breast is fully naked where it is the breas is not fully visible it still allows photos. It is the same hypocracy which many sites like Yahoo as the biggest one has. In Yahoo, for example, you go to yahoo vide search, search "breastfeeding videos". It will not only give you videos of children breast feeding but even adult breastfeeding and completely pornographic videos. You just save one of those in your "my videos yahoo account", your yahoo whole account including that of your email account will be deleted that you have violated the rules as Yahoo does not allow pornographis videos. Then what are those thousand and thousands fully naked hateful videos and images on the Yahoo collection seeing of which sometime a human being vomits. Facebook has the same hypocracy mentality. A mother's breastfeeding is the world's most holies thing. Some people of course do stare to the breast seeing a mother feeding, but these are those who can find sex even in their own mother and daughter. They have the dirty mentality. When a mother feeds, she is feeding the humanity. There is too cool impression and softness on her face then which can not be described even in volumes of books. She then nurtures a human being. While we make bombs and arms, she makes a true human being. The photograph of a mother nursing a child is the most Holiest photograph in the world. I am a married of 11 years without any child. Perhaps there would not be. How much I miss the real life despite having everything I can not describe my helplessness because I do not have a child. How much deep I wish that I also use my breasts for feeding a child but I can not. No one can calculated my helplessness only those mothers who by any fortunate medical reason are unable to bear a child. I used occassionally to see facebook breastfeeding mothers holy photographs which in my extreme loneliness gave me some soothness and sometime I imaged in those photographs myself feeding a child. The facebook has deleted those and I miss those too. I do not know where those account holders who had those photographs shifted their collection now. If anyone can hold give a little happiness to this childless mother by giving me any website where I can find similar photos of mothers feeding their children or those photographs which from facebook have shifted to other places. I am fully with those compaingers who are protesting on this and I am shoulder to shoulder with them. Those who are protesting on it, can guide me how I can share with them in this protest. mrsdevi@hotmail.com
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