Facebook blocked an advert for onion seeds from Canada's Gaze Seed Company, mistakenly flagging it as "overtly sexual," raising questions about the technology company's content moderation system.

The ad featured a simple image of a basket filled with yellow onions, which the platform's algorithm appeared to misinterpret as inappropriate content. 

The Seed Company expressed confusion over the decision, noting that the ad was meant to promote their Walla Walla onion seeds and did not contain any sexual imagery. 

Jackson McLean, the company's manager, speculated that the rounded shapes of the onions could have been misconstrued as sexually suggestive, likening them to breasts.

Following an appeal from the company, Facebook restored the ad and apologised for the error, emphasising that these kinds of mistakes can occur with their AI-driven content moderation tools.

The incident was seen to highlight the limitations of Facebook's content moderation system. 

News, commentary, analysis 🗞️

• https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/sexualized-onions-facebook-lifts-ban-on-newfoundland-advertisement-for-seeds-1.5136498

• https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/onions-too-sexy-for-facebook-1.5750881

• https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8823925/Facebook-blocked-advertisement-onions-Canadian-seed-company-overtly-sexual.html

• https://www.newsweek.com/facebook-pulls-ad-sexual-onions-1537259

• https://nypost.com/2020/10/07/facebook-blocks-canadian-onion-ad-for-being-overtly-sexual/

• https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/12868756/facebook-ban-photo-onions-sexy/

• https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2020/10/07/Facebook-flags-onion-seed-ad-as-overtly-sexual/4691602099240/

• https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-27/facebook-s-ai-mistakenly-bans-ads-for-struggling-businesses