Let’s face it, it’s difficult to adhere to Community Guidelines when your entire business is X-rated. This is one of the reasons why Pornhub, the popular Canadian-owned internet pornography website, is frustrated that its Instagram profile, which the pornography site has kept “PG,” keeps getting shuttered.
In a company announcement released on the firm’s Twitter account, which was endorsed by several performers and organizations, Pornhub took Meta and Instagram to task on Tuesday, demanding an explanation as to why they’re being singled out by “discriminatory” double standards:
“We demand an explanation and guidance as to why our accounts are continuously deleted, and why content we spend money creating in order to engage with our audience is removed, even when we do not breach any of Instagram’s rules. The livelihoods of independent creators are harmed by Instagram’s reckless and discriminatory behavior.”
The company gestured towards other verified accounts that have featured nudity without penalty, bolstering the argument that the company is being discriminated against, but isn’t seeking for other accounts to be banned.
“We are happy to see that Kim and the artistic team behind the image are free to share their work on the platform, but question why we are denied the same treatment,” argued the company.
Pornhub, which has a track record of donating to advocacy groups supporting sex workers, made headlines during lockdown when it waived its fees, let performers keep their proceeds, and donated personal protective equipment and money to health organizations all over the world.
Recently, amid rising pressure to combat the spread of illegal content like child pornography and sex trafficking, the company cut ties with all of its unverified providers in an effort to crack down on allegations of illegal content, making its guidelines “more strict than any social media platform.”
"This means every piece of Pornhub content is from verified uploaders, a requirement that platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat and Twitter have yet to institute," the site blogged.
Pornhub did not post pornographic content to Instagram – which would clearly violate Community Standards, and the Meta-owned company wasn’t forthcoming with an explanation as to why it removed the account, which, the company argues, is a vital marketing tool for those in the industry.
“Members of the adult community run the risk of deplatforming if Instagram decides our pants look a bit too tight to meet its arbitrary and selevetly-enforced ‘standards.’”
Pornhub’s account was also disabled by Instagram in June 2021, but was reinstated less than a day later.