Emojis are an integral part of communication in the digital age. With the rise of emojis, sexually suggestive emojis became commonplace as replacements for sexual slang terms. However, Facebook is restricting its use as part of its efforts to moderate user posts regarding sexual activities.
A new provision in its “Sexual Solicitation” policy states that posts with common sexually suggestive emojis can be flagged by Facebook. The policy makes it clear that posts with such content violates Facebook’s policy. The policy extends to Instagram, which saw the rise of sharing nude and sexual photos over the years. Common sexually suggestive emojis include the peach and eggplant emoji.
To make it clear, Facebook is not banning all sexually suggestive emojis. A Facebook spokesperson told Newsweek that the use of such emojis is allowed as long as there is no sexual solicitation involved, which is banned in Facebook. Sexual solicitation is defined by the company as “attempted coordination of or recruitment for adult sexual activities”.
User who use the peach, banana, and eggplant emoji for food should be safe for now. As long as they don’t use it to convey a sexual act or to cover a genitalia, Faecbook won’t censor their posts.
(Photo source: https://www.pexels.com / Pixabay)
