Instagram has come under fire after deciding to ban an account which documented breast cancer survivors – deeming the images celebrating tattooed mastectomies ‘too sexual’.
The Pink Ink Fund’s photos showcase a series of beautiful, ornate tattoos that artist Amy Black had etched across women’s body’s as part of a charity initiative she started back in 2010.
Black recalls how she was requested to design a tattoo over the scars of a mastectomy for one breast cancer survivor, and after seeing the success and confidence boost, started up her own charity which helps with funding and education for those who are interested in post-mastectomy tattoos.
Documenting stories and snaps from some incredible women’s bodies, the stories have been hailed as ‘inspiring’ to women battling the illness at the moment.
So when Amy saw her Instagram account had been deactivated on November 14th – she was sure it was a mistake.
Images: Buzzfeed
Until she questioned the actions and was told the images were ‘sexually suggestive’ and contained nudity.
Speaking to Buzzfeed, the tattoo artist said she was annoyed but felt ‘helpless’ by the actions of the image sharing site:
“It was like a sucker punch — I felt completely helpless. Maybe they were just scrolling through accounts and saw what they perceived as natural, nude breasts without reading anything.
“They tout themselves as a cool social platform that engages in strong and healthy community guidelines, yet they delete a cancer charity account vs. letting soft porn and highly sexualized material still exist.”
The app has come under fire over recent months for its censorship and nudity policy. Activists and celebrities alike have long been pushing against the strict guidelines, which saw female nipples being banned from the site, but allowing the male counterpart’s to remain published online.
Following the online publicity of the account, Instagram later decided to reinstate the account – claiming the original decision had been a mistake.
Black hopes that by highlighting her story, she’ll be able to help other groups who have faced the strict guidelines fight back against the harsh nudity policies.
