Facebook blocks breast cancer post for being ‘overly sexual’

Facebook has blocked the Dublin Well Woman Centre from promoting a post about breast cancer because it said it was overly sexual in nature.

The advert was a guide for woman on how to perform a breast check and featured three small drawings of a woman with her breasts exposed to illustrate how to carry out the check correctly.

When the centre realised its post had been rejected by the social network earlier this week, it contacted the company and received the following explanation.

“Ads may not promote pornography of any kind, whether artistic or commercial. Ads may not feature nudity, adult toys, adult products, or images of people participating in activities that are excessively suggestive or sexual in nature.”

The Facebook response went on to say that ads “promoting sexual health products or services, such as contraceptives, lubricants, gels, or sexual health resources may be allowed and must be targeted to people over the age of consent for sexual activity in the target jurisdiction or, if applicable, of age to avail of sexual health services and products in that jurisdiction.”

The Dublin Well Woman Centre submitted an appeal in which it called on Facebook to permit the ad to be boosted “as it is not pornographic in nature and is targeted to women over ‘consenting age’”.

They pointed out that it was “a health promotion ad encouraging women why and how to perform self-breast exams in hopes of decreasing breast cancer.”

It added the post was “not sexual or pornographic in nature” and was simply a breast cancer awareness infographic.

A named employee of Facebook then responded and once more rejected the ad “because the image doesn’t follow our ad policies. Ads may not use overly sexual images, suggest nudity, show a lot of skin or cleavage, or focus unnecessarily on specific body parts”

The director of the Dublin Well Woman Centre Alison Begas described the Facebook decision as "bizarre".

Speaking to The Irish Times she called on the company to reverse the decision immediately. "There is nothing sexual about breast cancer. One in 10 Irish women will get the disease. I think Facebook needs to review its policy on women's health immediately."

A spokesman for Facebook told The Irish Times the company was investigating the issue.