In August, Instagram faced allegations of censorship and discrimination after removing photos of plus-size model Nyome Nicholas-Williams posing with her arms over her breasts. The removal gave rise to similar allegations from Black creators on the platform and a petition spurred by the #IWantToSeeNyome hashtag.
Instagram denied racial discrimination, maintaining that the posts were taken down for violating the company’s nudity policy. A spokesperson for Instagram told The Guardian, “We do not allow breast squeezing because it can be most commonly associated with pornography.” Critics argued that similar poses by thinner white women have not been removed.
In response, Instagram held calls with Black creators, conducted an investigation, and reinstated photos that had been removed. The investigation found that its review process and policy had been incorrectly applied to Nicholas-Williams’ posts. “I’m grateful to Nyome and our community for speaking up and pushing for change,” said Instagram head Adam Mosseri in a tweet. Plans to add nuance to its nudity policy are underway.