We Want Instagram to Stop Deleting Accounts for Showing Female Feet!

Summary:

Instagram has a long history of deleting and disabling users and accounts who post content related to the foot, specifically the female foot or a feminized foot. It can be feet in heels, bare, flip flops and so on…and it’s time for it to stop. It’s 2023, not the 1800’s. Instagram can do better.

Detailed Issue:

It may seem like a trivial or non-issue, but here is why Instagram deleting this content and disabling accounts for those reasons is damaging and harmful:

For years now, Instagram routinely has had a problem with images of female feet as the focus of a post or content. Countless creators have had their images removed and given the reason that it “violates the community guidelines on sexual content”. Often times, the image is nothing more than a foot…that’s right: a foot. Sometimes the image or content is a woman in heels or shoes, or perhaps sitting clothed in a setting and so on, but often times it can be nothing more than an image of a female or feminized foot. Attempting to appeal such removed content as being a mistake via the processes offered by Instagram often do not lead to it being reinstated. Similarly, and more damagingly, entire accounts are routinely disabled or deleted by Instagram often without any warning at all or previous content issues and the same reason is given violating community guidelines on sexual content.

Again, these are often accounts that do nothing other than post images and content related to feet and the heath, beauty, and fashion industry: feet in heels, various shoes, showcasing pedicures or skin care products, jewelry, full clothing ensembles and so on. These are images in public settings even at times … in parks, restaurants, shopping centers, etc. Women who are wearing clothing that wouldn’t get a second glance at a playground, restaurant or store, are routinely having their content removed and told it violates “community guidelines on sexual content”.

This is a problem.

This shouldn’t be happening, especially in a modern online society in 2023.

It’s time to stop punishing creators, especially women, who post content of themselves with a focus on feet and telling them they are violating others sexually. That is essentially what Instagram is telling such creators and doing to them: it is telling them they are violating others sexually and that they need to be removed from the community. Then they remove them from the community, consequently harming and damaging their ability to enjoy Instagram and the opportunities it offers.

Many creators spend countless hours and resources creating content. In the modern world, social media opens up opportunities for creators that are often very lucrative. This is well established. People who post foot related content are no different. Many are aspiring models, or even established models … many are sponsored by shoe brands or jewelry artisans and makers, health and beauty product creators or businesses offering professional manicure and pedicure services. Clothing and fashion designers sponsor such creators but also, simply promoting your own personal brand by posting fun and engaging content with yourself in it to express your own style and beauty is often a part of success and opportunity. To limit creators, especially women, and disabling their profiles which often have tens to hundreds of thousands of followers and take months and sometimes years to build and grow and maintain, is harmful. Instagram is helping damage their connections and resources and brand…why? Because they post images and content related to the human foot?

The shoe and fashion industry are a worldwide multi-billion-dollar industry. This is not new. People enjoying fashion and expression through fashion and body beautification is also nothing new. So why do female feet get treated as though they are pushing the boundaries and edge of social acceptance? Why would a woman be told vaguely that an image of her foot is too sexual for the community and then she is banished like a criminal?

Arguably, it is because the foot is often fetishized. However, any part of the body can be. Instagram needs to stop punishing women for this. It already allows so much other female expression: dancing, modeling, lingerie, celebrities that are scantily clad, poll dancers etc. It’s time to stop doing this to female feet. Instagram needs to stop punishing the women for what others are fetishizing and sexualizing.

Part of the daily experience for many of these creators is dealing with and interacting with males who are sending them unsolicited, lewd messages and images in their private messages as well as publicly. It is a constant area of navigation: dealing with images of genitals being sent, as well as messages detailing sexual acts wanting to be performed and their consequent anger when they are not responded to. It is often a frequent issue that unruly users engage in pressuring tactics to get something (lewd content or personal information or attention) are rebuffed and then proceed to threaten to report the content creator’s page until it is removed, or they get what they want. This often happens (the disabling of the account), and only empowers the abusive person to continue such behavior. Instagram ends up supporting the perpetrator reporting out of malice and not the victim. Instagram needs to stop punishing women for the actions and lack of control of others. Instead protect them from it. Blocking often doesn’t cut it. It is not the responsibility of a woman posting an image of her foot to control how another will react to it. What Instagram does is the equivalent of the scarlet letter effect.

What has now happened, is that after many tears and dejected attempts to appeal banned accounts, such creators are leaving Instagram or, if they stay, are terrified daily of what will happen to them. They awake every morning, wondering if their page will come down. They consider every post and try to think, “Is this too much ankle? Are my toes too close to the camera? Are there any shadows on my shorts that would be considered something else by an algorithm? Will I be targeted by other users or Instagram itself?” and so on. This type of fear is absurd in 2023. When you are posting yourself clothed, and worried about the position of your toes in an image or the type of heel you are wearing in it, there’s something wrong. This is a stress that shouldn’t exist on a modern social media platform like Instagram. When you have tens of thousands of followers, are partnered with brands and others, as you try to grow your brand or business, Instagram itself shouldn’t be a threat. And again, it may seem trivial, however this effects opportunity and often ability to generate income.

If Instagram wants to continue to tell women, they are “violating the community guidelines on sexual content” when removing an image of a foot or a woman in flip flips on a picnic blanket, Instagram needs to be more specific. This is a type of body shaming. They are telling a woman she is violating others sexually and should be removed from the community. The ability to appeal this is typically a failure. So, if Instagram wants to accuse women of violating others with their bodies and being worthy of being removed, there must be specifics. How is it violating? What is violating about a foot image? What is the exact issue? Is the issue that Instagram fears males may pleasure themselves to it? Is this the concern? If that’s the concern, state it clearly to the creator. Don’t be vague. If Instagram wants to encourage this behavior and body shaming and continue to blame the creator for something as serious as “sexual content violations” then be more specific. Explain why it’s the fault of the female creator. What Instagram is saying is: your beauty is too much for others and you will be responsible for it and need to be hidden from view and because of it. All of this. Over feet.

I don’t think Instagram wants to portray this, nor should they condone the actions and reactions of those fetishizing content! These are not beneficial optics for Instagram. The whole, “She knows what she’s doing …” attitude when it comes to such things is archaic. As are the archaic ideas that showing too much female ankle in public is scandalous. This isn’t the 1800’s, it’s 2023.

Instagram needs to stop accusing, punishing and harming women and creators who post content focused on the human foot, it’s ridiculous this needs to be said. Instagram should support and protect creators, instead of being a threat to them. It should provide them with tools to protect themselves from those who are seeking their harm daily. Instagram’s algorithms aren’t sufficient, and their standards are often double and vague. It is no longer good enough. Claiming their algorithms “don’t always get it right” and to appeal with the current appeal processes are no longer good enough. Too many creators are having their livelihoods effected. The current ability to verify oneself isn’t sufficient either. It requires showing one’s face and legal name to do so: many women are victims of sexual assault or have past toxic/abusive relationships, or other violations and do not want to expose their identity especially when Instagram doesn’t protect them from anything. “Paying for protection” is currently not a viable option either. Many creators do not want to throw fuel onto the fire for those who would seek to blackmail, harass, dox, stalk, threaten and extort them online. Many creators would gladly pay for helpful services on Instagram that would offer protection or meaningful support, but the current verification process doesn’t allow for anonymity.

Instagram, stop deleting foot focused content accounts. Stop punishing creators for the lack of control of others, especially when it comes to female creators. Stop bullying and accusing without merit. Please start supporting, assisting and joining the modern era of body positivity and expression. And finally, stop punishing women for showing too much ankle.