Policy details

Change log

CHANGE LOG

Change log

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May 14, 2025
Sep 17, 2024
Aug 29, 2024
Jul 25, 2024
May 1, 2024
Feb 29, 2024
Sep 29, 2022
Apr 28, 2022
Dec 23, 2021
Nov 24, 2021
Aug 26, 2021
Nov 19, 2020
Mar 20, 2019
Oct 15, 2018
Jul 27, 2018
Jun 29, 2018
May 25, 2018
Policy Rationale

We restrict the display of nudity or sexual activity because some people in our community may be sensitive to this type of content, particularly due to cultural background or age.

We understand that nudity can be shared for a variety of reasons, including as a form of protest, to raise awareness about a cause or for educational or medical reasons. Where appropriate and such intent is clear, we make allowances for the content. For example, while we restrict some images of female breasts that include the nipple, we allow other images, including those depicting acts of protest, women actively engaged in breast-feeding and photos of post-mastectomy scarring (sometimes labeled with a sensitive warning screen). We also allow real world art that depicts nudity such as photographs of paintings, sculptures, etc (sometimes labeled with a sensitive warning screen and age-based restrictions). We default to removing sexual imagery to prevent the sharing of non-consensual or underage content.

Under this policy, we remove real photographs and videos of nudity and sexual activity, AI- or computer-generated images of nudity and sexual activity, and digital imagery, regardless of whether it looks “photorealistic” (as in, it looks like a real person). As noted above, we also make careful allowances for real world art and certain medical, educational, and awareness-raising content, and these are detailed in the policy.

Content relating to child nudity is addressed in our Community Standard on Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Nudity.

We do not allow the following content for all users:

Adult Nudity

  • Photorealistic/digital imagery of adult nudity, if it depicts:
    • Visible genitalia (including when obscured by pubic hair or digital overlays)
    • Visible anuses and/or close-ups of visible buttocks
    • Visible female nipples, except in a breastfeeding, or act of protest context
    • Photorealistic/ digital videos that focus on commonly sexualized body parts (such as genitalia, crotch, breasts, anus, buttocks, lips, mouth/tongue) recorded without the awareness of the person(s) depicted in them
    • Photorealistic/ digital imagery or real world art depicting upskirt imagery of sexualized body parts
    • Note that with some restrictions, we may allow depictions of adult nudity in additional special contexts, such as medical or health contexts. This is covered in greater detail in the sections below.

Adult Sexual Activity

  • Photorealistic/ digital imagery of adult sexual activity, including:
    • Explicit sexual activity or stimulation:
      • Explicit sexual intercourse or oral sex, as indicated by a person’s mouth or genitals entering or in contact with another person's genitals or anus, or genitals placed upon or inserted into a sex toy, when at least one person's genitals or anus is visible
      • Explicit stimulation of a person’s genitals or anus, as indicated by stimulation, or the insertion of sex toys into the person’s genitals or anus, when the contact with the genitals or anus is directly visible
    • Implicit sexual activity or stimulation:
      • Implicit sexual intercourse or oral sex, as indicated by a person’s mouth or genitals entering or in contact with another person's genitals or anus, when the genitals or anus and/or the entry or contact is not directly visible
      • Implicit stimulation of a person’s genitals or anus, as indicated by stimulation, or the placement of sex toys above or insertion of sex toys into the person’s genitals or anus, or genitals placed upon or inserted into a sex toy, when the genitals or anus, stimulation, placement, and/or insertion is not directly visible
      • Impending sexual activity, as indicated by positions which suggest contact is about to be initiated between a person's hand, mouth or genitals with another person's genitals or anus.
    • Other sexual activity or stimulation:
      • Erections
      • Presence of by-products of sexual activity
      • Sex toys placed upon or inserted into mouth
      • Stimulation of visible human nipples
      • Squeezing female breasts, defined as a grabbing motion with curved fingers that shows both marks and clear shape change of the breasts. We allow squeezing in breastfeeding contexts.
    • Photorealistic/ digital imagery or real world art depicting fetish that involves the following:
      • Acts that are likely to lead to the death of a person or animal
      • Dismemberment
      • Cannibalism
      • Feces, urine, spit, snot, menstruation or vomit
      • Bestiality
      • Incest
      • BDSM (bondage and discipline, domination and submission, sadism and masochism), only when sexual indicators are also present
  • Extended audio of sexual activity
  • Note that with some restrictions, we may allow depictions of sexual activity in special contexts, such as medical or health contexts. This is covered in greater detail in the sections below.

For the following content, we limit the ability to view the content to users, ages 18 and older and include a label so that people are aware the content may be sensitive:

  • Digital imagery and real world art of explicit sexual activity or stimulation in a medical or health context
  • Photorealistic/ digital imagery and real world art of implicit or other sexual activity or stimulation in a medical or health context
  • Real world art of visible genitalia (including genitalia covered by digital overlay or obscurement and genitalia obscured by pubic hair only), visible anuses, close-ups of visible buttocks or visible female nipples, where the nudity is the focus of the image and not in a medical or health context
  • Photorealistic/ digital imagery of visible genitalia (including genitalia covered by digital overlay or obscurement and genitalia obscured by pubic hair), close-ups of visible buttocks, visible anuses or visible female nipples, when shared in the context of famine, genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity

For the following content, we limit the ability to view the content to adults, ages 18 and older:

  • Photorealistic/digital imagery depicting near nudity such as nudity covered only by digital overlay or an opaque object and certain instances of nudity obscured by see-through clothing
  • Photorealistic/digital imagery of persons where crotch, buttock or female breast(s) are the focus of the image
  • Photorealistic/ digital imagery and real world art of explicit, implicit or other sexual activity or stimulation when only body shapes or contours are visible
  • Real-world art, where
  • Imagery depicts implicit, explicit, or other sexual activity or stimulation except when posted in a medical or health context
  • Imagery depicts bestiality, provided it is shared neutrally or in condemnation and the people or animals depicted are not real.
  • Recognized fictional photorealistic imagery depicting implicit or other sexual activity or stimulation
  • Photorealistic/digital imagery and real world art depicting:
  • Sex-related activity such as kissing with visible tongue and sexual or erotic dancing
  • Persons simulating sexual activity
  • Gestures that signify genitalia, masturbation, oral sex, or sexual intercourse
  • Logos, screenshots or video clips of known pornographic websites
  • Content that contains audio of sexual activity

For the following content, we include a label so that people are aware the content may be sensitive:

  • Photorealistic/ digital imagery and real world art depicting:
  • Visible genitalia (including genitalia covered by digital overlay or obscurement and genitalia obscured by pubic hair), close-ups of visible buttocks, or visible anuses, when shared in a medical or health context. This can include, for example:
  • Birth-giving and after-birth giving moments
  • Self-examination for cancer or other disease
  • Visible female nipples, when shared in a medical or health context (including mastectomy or cancer survivor tattoos)

For the following Community Standards, we require additional information and/or context to enforce:

  • In certain cases, we will allow content for ages 18 and older with a label 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 criticize them.

User experiences

See some examples of what enforcement looks like for people on Facebook, such as: what it looks like to report something you don’t think should be on Facebook, to be told 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.

Data
Prevalence

Percentage of times people saw violating content

Content actioned

Number of pieces of violating content we took action on

Proactive rate

Percentage of violating content we found before people reported it

Appealed content

Number of pieces of content people appealed after we took action on it

Restored content

Number of pieces of content we restored after we originally took action on it

Prevalence

Percentage of times people saw violating content

Content actioned

Number of pieces of violating content we took action on

Proactive rate

Percentage of violating content we found before people reported it

Appealed content

Number of pieces of content people appealed after we took action on it

Restored content

Number of pieces of content we restored after we originally took action on it

Reporting
1
Universal entry point

We have an option to report, whether it's on a post, comment, story, message, profile or something else.

2
Get started

We help people report things that they don’t think should be on our platform.

3
Select a problem

We ask people to tell us more about what’s wrong. This helps us send the report to the right place.

4
Check your report

Make sure the details are correct before you click Submit. It’s important that the problem selected truly reflects what was posted.

5
Report submitted

After these steps, we submit the report. We also lay out what people should expect next.

6
More options

We remove things if they go against our Community Standards, but you can also Unfollow, Block or Unfriend to avoid seeing posts in future.

Post-report communication
1
Update via notifications

After we’ve reviewed the report, we’ll send the reporting user a notification.

2
More detail in the Support Inbox

We’ll share more details about our review decision in the Support Inbox. We’ll notify people that this information is there and send them a link to it.

3
Appeal option

If people think we got the decision wrong, they can request another review.

4
Post-appeal communication

We’ll send a final response after we’ve re-reviewed the content, again to the Support Inbox.

Takedown experience
1
Immediate notification

When someone posts something that doesn't follow our rules, we’ll tell them.

2
Additional context

We’ll also address common misperceptions and explain why we made the decision to enforce.

3
Policy Explanation

We’ll give people easy-to-understand explanations about the relevant rule.

4
Option for review

If people disagree with the decision, they can ask for another review and provide more information.

5
Final decision

We set expectations about what will happen after the review has been submitted.

Warning screens
1
Warning screens in context

We cover certain content in News Feed and other surfaces, so people can choose whether to see it.

2
More information

In this example, we give more context on why we’ve covered the photo with more context from independent fact-checkers

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 nudity and sexual activity

Learn what you can do if you see something on Facebook that goes against our Community Standards.