An Instagram account promoting sexual wellness for women and queer people was permanently deleted by Meta this week, seemingly for using the word “clitoris.”
Bellesa Boutique is a provider of sex toys with a sizable presence on Instagram. Its account had 700,000 followers and hosted a decade’s worth of content related to sexual health before it was removed.
In screenshots shared with Mashable, Meta disabled Bellesa’s account after it determined it violated its Community Standards banning “sexually explicit language in organic content.” Notably, the policy states it does allow content under that umbrella if it is considered to be educational, newsworthy or a way to raise awareness.
An email from Meta determined that the action against Bellesa’s account was a “true positive enforcement” and that it can’t be re-enabled. Bellesa created another Instagram account in an effort to make noise about the ban, but it was also deleted.
This is just the latest in a slew of sexual health brands and creators being censored on Instagram. Sex workers and LGBTQ2S+ content creators have been vocal about facing shadow bans and permanent account deletions on Instagram for years.
Queer and trans people disproportionately lack access to credible sexual health information that is especially tailored to their needs. They often turn to sources on social media, which makes this censoring of language so significant. If an account like Bellsa’s can disappear for using the word “clitoris,” so could that of any platform or creator that discusses queer and trans sexual health.
Bellesa has since indicated that it wants to pursue legal action against Meta. Its first step is compiling posts that violate the same standards that got them banned to indicate a double standard of censorship.
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