Facebook’s Most Famous Banned Images
The social-media giant reinstated postings of the ‘napalm girl’ photo that changed the course of the Vietnam War. It's not the first image that’s been blocked for dubious reasons.
Photo Illustration Brigette Supernova/The Daily Beast
With a long history of censoring fine art, photojournalism, breastfeeding, and other “questionable” content, Facebook came under fire this week for the removal of war photographer Nick Ut’s iconic napalm-attack image. While the image was reinstated after much public debate, there are countless others that have fallen victim to Facebook’s algorithms and prudish sensibilities. Here are a few examples.
Nick Ut/AP
After having this image censored from Facebook back in February because of its “suggestive content,” the Philadelphia Museum of Art fought to have Evelyne Axell's Ice Cream republished to the social-media platform.
Philadelphia Museum of Art/via Facebook
A photo of The Little Mermaid statue in Denmark was also censored on Facebook, despite thousands of tourists and families seeing nothing wrong with the monument to children's author Hans Christian Andersen.
Agencja Fotograficzna Caro/Alamy
American Pickers TV star and burlesque performer Danielle Colby was forced to remove these images (and countless others) from Facebook after complaints from “friends” and “fans.”
Courtesy Danielle Colby
Posting this medieval religious illustration got renowned art critic Jerry Saltz’s account temporarily blocked in March 2015. Saltz has repeatedly come under fire for posting risqué images on social media.
via Twitter
After having a photo of the famous Gustave Courbet Origin of the World painting removed, an art teacher in France is now suing Facebook for censorship. The social-media giant also reportedly suspended the user for violating its terms of use.
Sebastien Bozon/AFP/Getty
Artist Illma Gore has been banned from Facebook for sharing her artistic interpretation of Donald Trump. You can download and print this image for free via her website.
Courtesy Illma Gore
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