Facebook has tweaked its Sexual Solicitation Community Standards in a bid to stop sex workers using the platform to solicit business on the platform. The latest change also applies to Instagram – which Facebook bought back in April 2012.
As part of the changes, Facebook has banned the use of “sexual” emoji, including the aubergine and the peach. Of course, both of these were originally designed to represent the inoffensive fruit and vegetables.
However, over the years, both of these emoji have evolved more, ahem, adult meanings closer to what you’d find on the top shelf of your local newsagents, not in the fresh fruit aisle at your local Sainsbury’s. In fact, the saucier definitions have now become so ingrained that Apple backtracked on a redesign of the peach emoji a few years ago because users thought it looked too much like a peach and not a peachy tuchus.
Facebook and Instagram claim the emoji are too “sexually suggestive” and need to be banned from the social networks in order to discourage sex work. As well as the peach and aubergine, the water droplet emoji has also met its maker. So, if you’re posting a status about how a leak in your kitchen lead to a soggy fruit salad and a ruined Baba ghanoush, don’t be surprised when Facebook prohibits the use of some of the correct emoji.
The social media networks will still allow the banned emoji to appear in comments.
Detailing the new changes, Facebook explained: “People use Facebook to discuss and draw attention to sexual violence and exploitation.
“We recognise the importance of and want to allow for this discussion. We draw the line, however, when content facilitates, encourages or coordinates sexual encounters between adults.
“We also restrict sexually explicit language that may lead to solicitation because some audiences within our global community may be sensitive to this type of content and it may impede the ability for people to connect with their friends and the broader community.”
It’s unclear how exactly Facebook will be determining whether your use of the emoji could be construed as sexual, or whether it’s inoffensive. Presumably, it will be relying on users flagging problematic content to send to the moderators.
Facebook and Instagram users have flocked to rival social network Twitter to bemoan and laugh about the new changes.
One user joked: “Facebook and Instagram ban [aubergine emoji and peach emoji] so now you can’t insinuate antioxidant foods in your posts.”
And another added: “Can Instagram please also ban the fire emoji and the phrase ‘OMG stop it babe’ from being commented.”
Meanwhile, another user highlighted the number of additional emoji that could be used for innuendo that Facebook and Instagram haven’t blocked in the latest change.
Posting on Twitter, they wrote: “Sexual use of the eggplant & peach emojis are now banned on Facebook & Instagram. This is actually great news for the banana, carrot, hotdog, taco, & donut emoji to finally make their debut. You know how long these guys have been waiting in the wings for their time to shine?”
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