Adult nudity and sexual activity

Policy rationale

We restrict the display of nudity or sexual activity because some people in our community may be sensitive to this type of content, particularly due to cultural background or age.

We understand that nudity can be shared for a variety of reasons, including as a form of protest, to raise awareness about a cause or for educational or medical reasons. Where appropriate and such intent is clear, we make allowances for the content. For example, while we restrict some images of female breasts that include the nipple, we allow other images, including those depicting acts of protest, women actively engaged in breast-feeding and photos of post-mastectomy scarring. We also allow real-world art that depicts nudity, such as photographs of paintings and sculptures. We default to removing sexual imagery to prevent the sharing of non-consensual or underage content.

Under this policy, we remove real photographs and videos of nudity and sexual activity, AI- or computer-generated images of nudity and sexual activity, and digital imagery, regardless of whether it looks "photorealistic" (as in, it looks like a real person). As noted above, we also make careful allowances for real world art and certain medical, educational and awareness-raising content, and these are detailed in the policy.

Content relating to child nudity is addressed in our Community Standard on child sexual exploitation, abuse and nudity.

We do not allow:

• Imagery, and digital imagery, of adult nudity, if it depicts:

• Visible genitalia (including when obscured by pubic hair) except when labelled with a sensitive warning screen in a medical or health context (for example, birth-giving and after-birth moments, gender confirmation surgery, examination for cancer or other diseases)

• Visible anuses and/or fully nude close-ups of buttocks except when labelled with a sensitive warning screen in a medical or health context or when edited onto a public figure

• Uncovered female nipples, except in a breastfeeding, mastectomy, medical, health or act of protest context

• Note that we allow all of the above in the context of famine, genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity

• Imagery of adult sexual activity, including:

• Explicit sexual activity or stimulation

• Explicit sexual intercourse or oral sex, as indicated by a person's mouth or genitals entering or in contact with another person's genitals or anus, when at least one person's genitals or anus is visible

• Explicit stimulation of a person's genitals or anus, as indicated by stimulation, or the insertion of sex toys into the person's genitals or anus, when the contact with the genitals or anus is directly visible

• Implicit sexual activity or stimulation, except when labelled with a sensitive warning screen in a medical, health or sexual wellness context; or when limited to adults, ages 18 years or older in promotional content, recognised fictional images or images with indicators of fiction:

• Implicit sexual intercourse or oral sex, as indicated by a person's mouth or genitals entering or in contact with another person's genitals or anus, when the genitals or anus and/or the entry or contact is not directly visible

• Implicit stimulation of a person's genitals or anus, as indicated by stimulation, or the placement of sex toys above or insertion of sex toys into the person's genitals or anus, when the genitals or anus, stimulation, placement and/or insertion is not directly visible

• Other sexual activity or stimulation, except when labelled with a sensitive warning screen in a medical or health context, or when limited to adults, ages 18 years or older, promotional content, recognised fictional images or images with indicators of fiction:

• Erections

• Presence of by-products of sexual activity

• Sex toys placed upon or inserted into mouth

• Stimulation of visible human nipples

• Squeezing female breasts, defined as a grabbing motion with curved fingers that shows both marks and clear shape change of the breasts. We allow squeezing in breastfeeding contexts.

• Imagery depicting fetish that involves:

• Acts that are likely to lead to the death of a person or animal

• Dismemberment

• Cannibalism

• Feces, urine, spit, snot, menstruation or vomit

• Bestiality

• Incest

• Digital imagery of adult sexual activity, except when posted in the context of medical awareness, scientific discourse or discussion of sexual health, or when it meets one of the criteria below and viewing is limited to adults aged 18 or older.

• Extended audio of sexual activity

For the following content, we include a label so that people are aware that the content may be sensitive:

• Imagery, and digital imagery, of visible genitalia, fully nude close-ups of buttocks or visible anuses, when shared in a medical or health context. This can include, for example:

• Birth-giving and after-birth-giving moments

• Gender confirmation surgery

• Self-examination for cancer or other disease

• Imagery of implicit/other sexual activity or stimulation when shared in a medical or health context

• Imagery of implicit sexual activity or stimulation in sexual wellness context

For the following content, we limit the ability to view the content to adults aged 16 and older:

• Imagery depicting near nudity, such as nudity only covered by digital overlay or an opaque object and nudity obscured by see-through clothing

• Imagery depicting persons making sexual poses, defined as poses simulating sexual activity or where groin, buttock or female breast(s) are in focus (including in real-world art and digital imagery)

• Imagery depicting sex-related activity (including in real-world art and digital imagery), such as kissing with visible tongue and sexual or erotic dancing

• Imagery depicting gestures that signify genitalia, masturbation, oral sex or sexual intercourse (including in real-world art and digital imagery)

• Imagery depicting logos, screenshots or video clips of known pornographic websites

• Content that contains sexual audio

For the following content, we limit the ability to view the content to adults aged 18 and older:

• Real-world art, where

• Imagery depicts implicit, explicit or other sexual activity or stimulation except when posted in the context of medical awareness, scientific discourse or discussion of sexual health

• Imagery depicts bestiality, provided that it is shared neutrally or in condemnation and the people or animals depicted are not real.

• Implicit/other sexual activity or stimulation in promotional content, recognised fictional images or with indicators of fiction

• Digital imagery and real-world art of adult sexual activity, where:

• The content was posted in a satirical or humorous context

• Only body shapes or contours are visible

For the following Community Standards, we require additional information and/or context to enforce:

• In certain cases, we will allow content that may otherwise violate the Community Standards when it is determined that the content is satirical. Content will only be allowed if the violating elements of the content are being satirised or attributed to something or someone else in order to mock or criticise them.