Instagram removes images of black, plus-size British model
Instagram removes images of black, plus-size British model
Occurred: August 2020
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Instagram faced a global backlash after repeatedly removing photos of Nyome Nicholas-Williams, a Black plus-size British model, citing concerns over nudity.ย
Despite Nyome Nicholas-Williams' images being tasteful and covering her breasts, Instagram's actions led to significant distress for her and raised questions about the platform's content moderation practices and potential biases within their approval processes.
Nicholas-Williams argued that the removals reflected a racial bias, as similar images posted by slimmer, white models like Emily Ratajkowski and Bella Hadid remained untouched.ย
In response, Instagram issued an apology acknowledging that the removals were mistakes and saying they would restore the content.ย
However, Nicholas-Williams and her supporters continued to call for greater transparency and accountability regarding how content is moderated, particularly for marginalised groups.ย
The situation sparked a broader movement under the hashtag #IwanttoseeNyome with advocates pushed for changes to Instagram's policies to prevent further discrimination against plus-size Black women.
โ November 2020. Instagram owner Meta updated its nudity policy.
Instagram content moderation system
Operator: Alexandra Cameron; Nyome Nicholas-Williams
Developer: Instagram
Country: UK
Sector: Media/entertainment/sports/arts
Purpose: Moderate content
Technology: Content moderation system; Machine learning
Issue: Bias/discrimination; Human/civil rightsnce
Page info
Type: Incident
Published: September 2024