Facebook received backlash from the social media community when they took down a picture of plus-size model Tess Holliday.
Australian feminist group Cherchez La Femme has expressed their anger after the social network rejected an advert for their event 'Feminism and Fat', which aims to promote body positivity. The advert shows plus-size model Tess Holliday's picture wearing a bikini. Facebook initially took the photo down, and told the organizers that the advert "depicts a body... in an undesirable manner." Facebook added that these kinds of ads are not allowed on the site "since they make viewers feel bad about themselves".
The Facebook team also suggested that they replace the ad with an image of someone 'running or riding a bike,' as it is more appropriate given the theme of their event.
The social network has now restored the image and issued an apology for the move. "Our team processes millions of advertising images each week, and in some instances we incorrectly prohibit ads," the statement said. "This image does not violate our ad policies. We apologize for the error and have let the advertiser know we are approving their ad."
Jessamy Gleeson, one of the producers of the Melbourne-based "Feminism and Fat', told BBC that she was furious about what happened. "They're not policing women's bodies when it comes to acceptable standards of beauty elsewhere," she said.
"I can see that they were attempting to try to tackle eating disorders - that makes sense - but at some point you have to consider that women of different weights exist on Facebook." Gleeson has added.
This was not the first time that Facebook has been slammed for censorship of photos, Irish Times reported.
In March, Facebook took down an image of topless Aboriginal women in the ceremonial paint as part of a protest, because it violated the site's 'community standards.' The social network was accused of having double standards, pointing out that the photo of celebrity Kim Kardashian posing with only body paint covering her body was not taken down.
