What is Instagram’s nudity policy?

Instagram’s removal of Madonna’s risque post prompted the 63-year-old singer to call out the platform’s nudity policy.

The social media platform removed the series of saucy snaps on Thursday following their strict anti-nudity rules. The “Material Girl” singer since re-uploaded the provocative photoshoot with a lengthy caption surrounding the platform’s stance on female nudity.

She said: “It’s astounding to me that we live in a culture that allows every inch of a woman’s body to be shown except a nipple,” after “a small portion of my nipple was exposed.”

Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Here’s what we know about Instagram’s community guidelines:

Why does Instagram have community guidelines?

To reflect their “diverse community of cultures, ages and beliefs”, the social media platform said they had spent a notable amount of time “thinking about the different points of views” to create a safe and open environment for everyone.

“We created the Community Guidelines so you can help us foster and protect this amazing community,” Instagram said on their website.

What is Instagram’s policy on nudity?

Instagram does not allow nudity on the platform but offers a handful of exceptions, such as post-mastectomy scarring and women actively breastfeeding. The social media app also states that nude paintings and sculptures are acceptable.

The platform acknowledges that while “people might want to share nude images that are artistic or creative in nature”, nudity is simply not allowed.

“This includes photos, videos and some digitally-created content that show sexual intercourse, genitals and close-ups of fully-nude buttocks,” they said.

“It also includes some photos of female nipples, but photos in the context of breastfeeding, birth-giving and after-birth moments, health-related situations (for example, post-mastectomy, breast cancer awareness or gender confirmation surgery) or an act of protest are allowed.”

Naturally, for safety reasons, the platform will remove images that show nude or partially nude children – “even when content is shared with good intentions.”

What happens if a user breaches the community guidelines?

If an Instagram user violates the community guidelines, they have every right to remove the content.

They can also disable accounts, and in some cases, work with law enforcement when they “believe that there’s a risk of physical harm or threat to public safety.”

To learn more about Instagram’s community guidelines, click here.