Facebook Is About to Cut Down Censorship and Get More NSFW

Typically known for imposing a fair degree of censorship over NSFW content, Facebook announced today a more lenient stance on the topic. The #freethenipple is likely to finally get what it's been after.

In a statement on behalf of the social network, Joel Kaplan, VP Global Public Policy, and Justin Osofsky, VP Global Operations & Media Partnerships, noted that a pronounced change to Facebook’s Community Standards is imminent. Content usually considered too salacious or inappropriate will be subjected to less censorship if determined newsworthy or relevant to the public interest, the two executives said.

“In the weeks ahead, we’re going to begin allowing more items that people find newsworthy, significant, or important to the public interest — even if they might otherwise violate our standards.”

This will be achieved through “new tools and approaches to enforcement,” that ultimately will “allow more images and stories without posing safety risks or showing graphic images to minors and others who do not want to see them.”

Facebook hopes to continue “working closely with experts, publishers, journalists, photographers, law enforcement officials and safety advocates about how to do better when it comes to the kinds of items we allow.”

It’s a sudden turn from the company, which brings to the fore recent controversies concerning censored items that roused backlash from users. One of which happened only yesterday, when the company faced sharp criticism for censoring an animated breast cancer awareness video for featuring cartoon renderings of breasts.

The change in Community Standards also comes on the heels of another big company announcement: a host of new features that intends to dominate user’s social lives.

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Sam Blum is a News Staff Writer for Thrillist. He's also a martial arts and music nerd who appreciates a fine sandwich and cute dogs. Find his clips in The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The A.V. Club and Vice. He's on Twitter @Blumnessmonster.