NEW YORK — Dame Products and Unbound, along with other sex-positive companies and activists, organized a rally outside of Facebook’s New York offices this week in protest of the social media platform’s “selectively enforced” advertising guidelines.
The protest reflected the message on the companies’ newly created joint website — Approved, Not Approved — which shows ads that have been approved or denied by Facebook and Instagram, as well as the metro systems in New York and Boston. A game on the website lets visitors pick “Approved” or “Not Approved” on various real ads featuring breast augmentation, erectile dysfunction drugs and sex toys — and exposes the disparity between sexualized content that gets approved while non-sexualized sex toy ads are shut out.
“By selectively enforcing guidelines, platforms limit your access to solutions, education, and engagement from brands that are trying to make the world a better place for you,” the website says, noting Dame Products lawsuit against the MTA. “We believe that advertisers should allow advertisements for sexual health and wellness products for everyone — not exclusively cis-men, as is currently the case.”
Unbound CEO Polly Rodriguez told Business Insider that the goal of the protest is to get Facebook to revise its advertising policies.
"MeToo took place in a big way on their platform," she said. "They have a moral responsibility to take action on that movement and figure out how they can team with voices in these communities to allow users to engage in the counter narrative."
Per Facebook's policies, while adult products or services — including specifically “sex toys, or products focused explicitly on sexual pleasure” — are completely banned from advertising on Facebook, ads for family planning and contraception are acceptable — however, they too must not promote sexual pleasure or enhancement.
