Model Erin O’Connor has criticised Instagram after the platform repeatedly removed two nude photographs she posted to celebrate Mother’s Day, showing her heavily pregnant body. The images, taken in 2014 when she was eight and a half months pregnant with her son Albert, were removed, reinstated, and then removed again by Meta, Instagram’s parent company.
O’Connor, 48, shared the photos on 15 March to mark Mother’s Day in the UK. Instagram initially removed the post, citing a breach of its “nudity guidelines”. A message from Meta stated: “We want you to share freely with others. We only remove things or restrict people to keep the community respectful and safe.”
After O’Connor complained and the story was covered by the Sunday Times and the Guardian, Meta restored the post on Sunday. However, within minutes it was flagged as “sensitive” and removed again. O’Connor received another automated message advising the post “may show nudity” and violated community standards. She challenged the decision again.
Speaking at an event at the National Gallery in London, O’Connor argued that banning images of her pregnant body while women are “hypersexualised on a daily basis” amounted to double standards. She called for “clearer, more context-sensitive guidelines” from Meta, so that content like pregnancy and body-positive imagery is not mistakenly removed.
O’Connor expressed gratitude that the post was eventually restored but was disappointed by its second removal. She said she hoped her experience would encourage others to challenge Meta when necessary, adding: “It feels inconceivable that a heavily pregnant naked woman could be perceived as offensive when she stands in her full power, her body at its most extraordinary.”
