Adult film stars are speaking out against Instagram in the wake of hundreds of accounts being banned over the past year.
The Adult Performers Actors Guild (APAG) has amassed a list of over 1,300 performers who claim to have had their Instagram accounts deleted, despite never even showing nudity.
Speaking with the BBC, APAG President Alana Evans argues that moderators on the platform have discriminated against adult film stars “because they don’t like what we do for a living.”
“I should be able to model my Instagram account on Sharon Stone or any other verified profile, but the reality is that doing that would get me deleted,” Evans says.
The group has also highlighted instances in which totally mundane photos have been flagged and pulled down, despite not actually violating the site’s guidelines.
Although Instagram introduced a new system for users to appeal such decisions after meeting with adult film stars earlier this year, accounts continue to be purged from the platform.
Adult performers also feel they are held to a different standard than celebrities and models, who can post revealing photographs without being penalized by Instagram.
“Celebrities keep their pictures, but we can’t even post a video of us working out in a bikini,” says Bloggeronpole, a prominent blogger and pole dancer. “If you are using your body in one way or another, even for education or to promote body positivity, you can’t do it anymore because of the way social media is being run.”
So what exactly is behind the purge? Many adult film stars point to mass-flagging campaigns.
One anti-porn campaigner, known online as Omid, claims to be responsible for the removal of hundreds of accounts alone.
“Your IG account was deleted due to your porn activities,” Omid told one adult actress in a Twitter post highlighted by the BBC. “Leave porn and live a better and more respectful life than today. Do not try to create a new account. I will delete it every time.”
The issue is reminiscent of the “ThotAudit” campaign last year, in which social media users reported sex workers on Snapchat and other platforms to the IRS or local law enforcement.
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