Today is Facebook Breastfeeding Flashing Mob Day!
Thousands of people, breastfeeders and non-breastfeeders, men and women have changed their profile picture in support of breastfeeding and posted this as their status:
Facebook removes breastfeeding photographs because they feel they are obscene and offensive. I have changed my profile picture in protest of this! If you support breastfeeding please change your profile picture and repost this as your status!
There are some ideas for profile pictures here and more here
To enter a competition to win anything from www.lactivist.co.uk please join the Facebook Breastfeeding Flashing Mob group, change your Facebook status and let us know what you think of facebooks breastfeeding policy by commenting on the competition page of www.lactivist.net
Winner will be drawn at random at 9am (UK time) Monday 27th June 2011.
Open worldwide, the winner gets to choose any one item they like from www.lactivist.co.uk
The winner (chosen by random.org) was Laura Cameron. Competition is now closed but please keep commenting on facebooks breastfeeding policy.
facebook’s policy of removing breastfeeding pictures is just bizarre in my opinion, i cannot understand those who think there is anything more than normal going on as this is what boobs were made for!! it just doesnt compute with me WHY anyone would report such an image, yet 14 year olds bearing their chests and legs and pouting for the camera is ok? facebook seriously need to get a grip!
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It is legal to breastfeed in public so those picture shouldn’t be banned. Censoring such images, reinforces stigmas that discourage mothers from a healthy, natural practice.
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Facebook in my opinion is very one sided, its ok to have naked women in provocative poses, but heaven forbid you show a baby doing only what it knows! to feed at its mothers breast, shall we post a picture of a sow feeding her piglets and see if that gets removed also? It is just complete insanity that these most beautiful and treasured photos are being removed yet the vile porn industry is allowed to play on!!!
Shame on you face book!!! Keep britain breastfeeding!!!
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I find it very strange that something as natural as breastfeeding is deemed inapropriate by Facebook. I’ve seen much more boob on display in girls night out photos. I think if Facebook wish to continue with this madness, then all photos of bottle feeding should be banned too, it’s only fair. I’m proud to have breastfed and hope to again in the future. I think this protest is a great way to highlight the utter madness surrounding this issue. Surely it’s the mothers choice if she wishes to show herself feeding her child.
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Breastfeeding images on Facebook shouldn’t be banned – these images help normalise it within our society and help to build a ‘support network’ among mothers and mothers to be i.e “she did it, so can I…I’ll ask her for help!”
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I’m keeping everything (fingers, toes, eyes) crossed that now they revew the pictures before deleting (or at least they say they review them!) that they will start to take a more sensible viewpoint and not delete breastfeeding ones. Because the policy is silly!
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Breastfeeding is entirely normal and a natural way of feeding our babies – so we should be able to show pictures of it whereever we like.
I see more boob on show in photos of girls nights out & bikini shots on holiday – than I’ve ever shown whilst feeding! We all breastfeed in public – so why facebook will not allow such pictures to be shown in public is madness. Only by normalising such a natural thing can we encourage other new mums-to-be to BF their children – and give them the best start in life. If other mums can show pictures of their child being bottle fed – why can’t I show one of my children being BF – surely thats discrimination?
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I find it odd that Facebook allows photos of dead babies and children for paedophiles to peruse, yet a photo of something as natural as breastfeeding is considered obscene. Get your act together you nobs!
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Facebook removing BF pictures is vindicating those who think it is obscene to feed your baby as nature intended. My boobs are my baby’s food right now, they don’t have a problem with pictures of him eating his weetabix, why should they have a problem with pictures of him drinking his milk.
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An email i received from facebook after having a photo of mine removed saying “Facebook does not allow photos that attack an individual or group, or that contain nudity, drug use, violence or other violations of the Terms of Use.” So i find it horrifying that facebook would class a photo of me Breastfeeding my son along with nudity, drug use and violence!! The fact there is NO possible way to contact facebook directly and defend yourself is also disgusting. I really can not believe in 2011, facebook are living in a world were photos of women in bikinis are expectable but breastfeeding is not.
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i think there oinion and actions are outdated and offensive, i often wonder if they are in breach of sexual discrimination laws or the like.
l like however thaqt even by its ignorance it draws people together.
When you think of all the good things face book can help achive, the power it gives to everyday people. it is such a shame that they take such an offensive stance on something we feel so strongly about. just think of the potencial power bf could have if they did a complete u turn, and one of the most widespread networks was seen to support breastfeeding.
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You only have to remind yourself of the Facebook owner, and then remind yourself that men take a tad longer to mature, so therefore Facebook is actually being run by a horny teenager who think boobs are for ogling.
their ethic is clearly screwy at best and what kind of a world do we live in when we are ridiculed for feeding our babies? It’s saddening when there are so many people out there who consider feeding your child from the breast in public wrong, even more saddening when a large proportion of those are female. We should not be forced to make a stand over something that should not even incite a reaction, but with each new generation, the ignorance becomes more prominent and I just hope that those who are making a stand and the fantastic morals they will pass down to their children will be enough to bring Breastfeeding in freedom, confidence and without judgement back into this modern age. Breast are NOT for sex, Breasts are for BABIES! Viva la Breastfeeding!!!
On a more serious note though, it’s absolutely disgusting that they delete such precious photo’s but it’s more so frustrating that most likely, someone on your friends list has reported them, how sad
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It’s so hypocritical of FB-why remove pictures of a normal activity like breastfeeding, yet allow teenagers to post semi-pornographic images of themselves left right and centre?
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its usaeless that facebook are removing pictures of somethign so natural yet leave hate sites alone.
ive had mya ccount disabled numerous tiems because of this because therye “obscene”?!?!! not sure how feeding my child is obscene but there u go.
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Terrible behavior from FB they shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it really
( I joined in the flashmob woth pride today x
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I changed my status and put up a picture of me BF my 6 month old daughter, it’s an utterly ridiculous double standard to accept barely clothed breasts for titillation, but not for their natural, beautiful purpose. Shame on Facebook!
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Facebook clearly has guilt issues from FF their babies…….
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Over the last 24 hours I’ve seen hundred of absolutely beautiful photos of mums feeding their children. How anyone can deem such a natural thing as offensive is beyond me. Well done everyone who took part in the Facebook Flashing Mob!
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Facebook’s policy is just ludicrous, but sadly unsurprising given how out of touch many members if society are with what is normal and natural. Am glad i’ ve never (yet!) had to defend my decision to bf my daughter, who is thriving at nearly 14 months. Go facebook flashing mob!!!
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I can’t get my head around this whole thing with facebook deleting photos of breastfeeding and accounts of the people posting the pictures. I’ve been on facebook for well over a year now and in my time on here I have seen people post some rather provaocative photos (nothing I would feel comfortable with a family member seeing) and I have also read some rather vulgar and obscene and extremely offensive statuses! These never get a second glance! What they are doing is atrocious! It’s acceptable for boobs to be portrayed in a sexual manner but not for the manner they are truly meant for! I personally, have never seen a breastfeeding mother and had any sexual thought cross my mind! Anyone that does, should clearly be the ones being banned from facebook as theyre clearly not mentally stable! And that’s my opinion on the matter!
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It’s about time facebook realised that all we are doing is feeding our children and not flashing our boobs for the sake if it. There are far worse pictures on fb that the lovely breastfeeding pictures we all want to show.
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It just makes me laugh to be honest, Page 3 boobs are fine, but show a picture of boobs being used for what they are meant for and it’s obscene!!! What a joke!
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Facebook wouldn’t dream of deleting a picture of a lamb, kitten or even a baby monkey nursing so it’s disgraceful that they remove pics of breastfeeding women. It’s just as natural and beautiful to see. It’s even worse when they don’t remove pics sexualising breasts. It’s no wonder western society is so twisted and perverse.
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The whole policy of removing breatfeeding pictures just shows that Facebook is a business and is run as such.
We dont help them sell advertising if on the right hand side of the screen is a “hot woman” in a bikini draped across a car and then on the left hand side there we are with our babies draped across our chest.
Basically, we don’t make them money but sex does.
An absolute load of pants if you ask me!
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Of course if u don’t like this facebook rule, you could always delete your page and not use it!!! anyone would think you are being forced by law to have a facebook page!.
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^^ there’s always one….
Regardless of whether it’s Facebook rules, this issue spreads wider than the ranks of online social networking. This right here is just one stand point amongst many currently ongoing, in a bid to educate the ignorant masses to accept breasts for their primary function. Maybe if you had the balls to post your name I’d give you more than a few lines, however consider yourself lucky I even gave you the time of day at all.
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Looks like I’m now in the midst of this controversy. I’ve been on facebook about 3 years now. I have 2 sons and though I never posted any bf pictures with DS1 (mostly cos I didn’t have many) I’ve been more open about it all with DS2. I changed my profile pic last week back to a bf pic and suddenly, with no warnings (EVER) or explanation, my account was disabled this morning. I cannot think of any other reason they would have disabled my account. I’ve done nothing different recently, I haven’t knowingly or willingly violated any of their TOS/community standards and so on. The worst part is that facebook is the main way I stay in contact with my family, including my sister and her children in Australia, and now I’m completely cut off from many of my friends and family for nothing!
Interestingly, while googling to find some info on what to do, I came across a note in someone’s blog from a couple of years ago that says “Nestle has a large financial investment in Facebook (we’re talking millions of dollars here)”….. Worth looking into?
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