Moriah Gill
As Facebook does, they are changing something arbitrary instead of dealing with real issues on their platform. The newest change comes in the form of a ban on “sexual emojis”.
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The mildly problematic social media giant updated its Facebook community standards this summer, and it went into effect in September 2019. The new terms within it move to ban the use of eggplant emojis, peach emoji, and water drip emojis when used in a suggestive manner basically because it, well, it “seems horny“. These emojis (in case you don’t know) at times represent the following: eggplant (penis), peach emoji (butt), water drip (ejaculation). Sorry to all the parents on here.
Facebook, Instagram will ban some sexual uses of the peach and eggplant emoji https://t.co/cQFCdKGIgk pic.twitter.com/tI2ZSOKZw9
— The Daily Dot (@dailydot) October 30, 2019
Facebook has deemed any emojis with “sexual expression” immediately translate into “sexual solicitation”. Sigh. To further flex its power on the platform the brand doesn’t want us to forget they have totalitarian power on, they have also decided that they reserve the right to remove the post if these “sexual solicitations” are used and they could even deactivate the commenting user’s account.
Nude photos where any genitalia, butts, or female nipples are covered by any emoji are officially not allowed, reminding everyone that women can only be viewed as sex objects on their platforms, dangit! So, don’t express yourself that way because ~it’s n0t aRt! These community standards will also have a huge effect on sex workers who use the platforms as part of their business model.
Apple Introduces Eggplant Emoji Covered In Sores https://t.co/W3EkWBr4oq pic.twitter.com/MEXzQh1zYV
— The Onion (@TheOnion) October 31, 2019
Furthering what is already a problematic situation, enter Kanye West. He, in his usual very sound mind, did an interview with Beats1 where he commented that social media makes married men “suffer like Jesus”. Ahem. So, maybe all of this is Zuck’s way of getting in good with Kanye? Who knows.
However, if you’re an avid emoji user there is no need to be worried. A representative for the social media platforms gave a statement eloquently reassuring that: “We aren’t taking action on simply the emojis.”
Whew. That’s a relief. Internet freedom lives to see another day.
