Adult Sexual Solicitation and Sexually Explicit Language

Policy Details
User Experiences

Policy details

CHANGE LOG
Policy Rationale
As noted in the Adult Sexual Exploitation policy, people use our services to discuss and draw attention to sexual violence and exploitation. We recognise the importance of and allow for this discussion. We also allow for the discussion of sex worker rights advocacy and sex work regulation. We draw the line, however, when content facilitates sexual encounters or commercial sexual services between adults or when content asks for or offers pornographic or sexual content. We do this to avoid facilitating transactions that may involve trafficking, coercion and non-consensual sexual acts.
We also restrict sexually explicit language that may lead to sexual 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.
We do not allow:
Content that offers, asks or provides methods of contact for prostitution, which is defined as asking for or offering oneself for sexual encounters in exchange for money or anything of value by:
  • Offering or asking for sexual encounters (for example, escort services, sexual/erotic massages, sex chats/conversations, fetish/domination services)
  • Using slang terms for prostitution combined with an ask or offer of availability, price or any signal of a transaction for money or something of value, location or contact information
  • Engaging in sexual solicitation combined with a price or any signal of a transaction for money or something of value
  • Depicting or mentioning sexual encounters or partners with a price or any signals of monetary or in-kind transactions.
  • Recruiting or offering other people for third-party commercial sex work is covered by the Human Exploitation policy.
Content that engages in sexual solicitation by, offering, asking or providing methods of contact for sexual encounters such as:
  • Sexual intercourse or stimulation
  • Oral sex
  • Sexual fetishes
  • Sex chats or conversations
  • Sexual or erotic massages
  • Erotic dancing or stripping
  • Sharing of nude imagery (such as nudes, sex videos)
Content that asks for, offers or provides methods of contact to acquire pornographic material, or contains usernames or links to pornographic websites.
Sexually explicit language that uses explicit or graphic detail about:
  • Genitals,
  • States of sexual arousal (e.g. wetness or erection)
  • Sexual encounters
  • The above does not include content shared in a humorous, satirical context or as sexual cursing
We allow content that is otherwise covered by this policy when posted in condemnation, educational, awareness raising or news reporting contexts. We also do not prohibit discussing sexual practices under the policy. However, these could be restricted to adults over 18 years of age as per the Health & Wellness policy to facilitate age-appropriate experiences for minors.
For the following content, we limit the ability to view the content to adults aged 18 and older:
  • Content discussing sexual practices or experiences
  • Content that contains usernames, links to or logos of adult subscription websites
  • Sexually explicit language in humorous or satirical contexts, including sexual metaphors
  • Sexually suggestive language that refers to sexual encounters
For the following Community Standards, we require additional information and/or context to enforce:
  • In certain cases, we will allow content that may otherwise violate the Community Standards when it is determined that the content is satirical. Content will only be allowed if the violating elements of the content are being satirised or attributed to something or someone else in order to mock or criticise them.
User experiences
See some examples of what enforcement looks like for people on Facebook, such as: what it looks like to report something that you don't think should be on Facebook, to be told that you've violated our Community Standards and to see a warning screen over certain content.
Note: We're always improving, so what you see here may be slightly outdated compared to what we currently use.
USER EXPERIENCE
Reporting
USER EXPERIENCE
Post-report communication
USER EXPERIENCE
Takedown experience
USER EXPERIENCE
Warning screens
Enforcement
We have the same policies around the world, for everyone on Facebook.
Review teams
Our global team of over 15,000 reviewers work every day to keep people on Facebook safe.
Stakeholder engagement
Outside experts, academics, NGOs and policymakers help inform the Facebook Community Standards.
Get help with adult sexual solicitation and sexually explicit language
Learn what you can do if you see something on Facebook that goes against our Community Standards.
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