Last month, we ran a story about the social media platform Facebook rejecting a Super Meat Boy ad depicting Meat Boy and Bandage Girl with their butts on display. At the time, Facebook said the cartoon image was sexually explicit.
While it seemed quite hilarious for all the wrong reasons, somehow, the social media giant has managed to outdo itself. Facebook has now rejected a launch trailer ad for GRIS - a standout indie title by Nomada Studio released late in 2018. Facebook said the clip contained "sexually suggestive" imagery. In the scene, there is a statue of a woman and her body is obscured by blue shadows. There's seemingly no nudity and the visibility of the body stays like this throughout the video. Here's a tweet by Devolver Digital showing the rejected scene:
Unsurprisingly, Devolver Digital is not happy about this. Speaking to Polygon, a representative of the publisher said it was a "really stupid" decision. Devolver Digital even tried to appeal it:
"We appealed and [Facebook] said the appeal was rejected based on the grounds that Facebook does not allow nudity. First of all, she’s a statue and second, absolutely no nudity is shown in that photo, nor is this what any reasonable person would consider ‘sexualized content."
The representative at Devolver Digital said sculptures depicting nude men and women were available through public searches on Facebook. However, as noted by Polygon, the platform's community standards allow this type of art depicting nude figures. Another point made within the guidelines is how "the display of sexual activity also apply to digitally created content unless it is posted for educational, humorous, or satirical purposes.” Based on the scene above, we're still not sure how Facebook could have come to this decision.
What do you think? Has Facebook officially lost the plot? Do you find the above scene from GRIS to be suggestive? Tell us below.
[source polygon.com]
Comments (51)
What...?
This is just as silly as the Super Meat Boy picture. Except this one has a distinct lack of butts.
There’s nothing to censor here.
Oh farcebook. ...we’re only 7 days into the new year!!!
Lol people defending an ad placement. People indeed are sheep
Great job, Zuck...
You've got real women posting the most revealing pics on Facebook and these devs aren't able to post this up...that's ridiculous
This actually just further concretes that this has more to do with algorithms than actual, active employee-based removal.
That picture being blocked really has me scratching my head. I really don't see anything sexual about it. A woman's face and her arms are about all I see. It's supposed to be a statue but the statue could be wearing a T-shirt and a vest for all that's shown.
The Tik Tok ads are more offensive!
Okay, at least super meat boy actually had a butt showing. This is just plain silly.
Facebook is run by pantywaists
Yet scroll a couple more videos down on your Facebook page and you’ll probably see a video about someone shooting guns. Or maybe a video about punking random strangers.
Seriously, people are using the INTERNET to be on Facebook...all it takes is to go to another site to see nudity. What an eye roller. 🙄
And again I point out, it's a computer algorithm. There are no gremlins in the basement at Facebook's headquarters trying to push an agenda.
Further, Facebook is a private company, just like Twitter, and any other social media. We aren't entitled to do whatever we want on their platform.
I quit Facebook. I think it is crap. But for totally different reasons.
Oh my GOD hide your shame, lady, there are children on this website!!
......yeah I don't see anything suggestive either. What's wrong with you, Facebook?
Yeah, and women shamelessly go topless and posts pictures and no one bats an eye.
Jesus, Facebook needs to get its act together.
@Heavyarms55 Yeah good point. There are too many ads going through Facebook to scrutinize every one individually.
You figure it would be a tad more refined though given it is Facebook’s source of revenue.
Yeah, that is just insane. I have young kids and I would have no problem with them seeing this advert.
@NotTelevision Yeah I agree. But Facebook competently running their website was something I gave up on long before I quit using the site myself. I assume Zuckerberg needs the money to fund his next multi-billion dollar mansion or whatever.
People are just crazy and waaaaay too sensitive these days.
@Quincy: Glad I'm not the only one who habitually calls it that!
...Huh? What is there to censor? There's not even anything in the game that's even close to warranting censorship of any sort. Oh well, hopefully this story gives the game, which is excellent, more exposure than some Facebook ad would anyway.
What is wrong with people ...
Come on, I dont get it....
It's like the puritans of old stopped screeching at random people and got hired by silicon valley, steering it from the shadows.
@Heavyarms55 For sure it's robots but when appealing a real person should look at the content and decide in a sensible manner rather than just forward a cut n' paste response.
Especially to someone paying for advertising at least.
But yea, left a loooong time ago myself too. Blegh.
Do people still use facebook?
I mean... you should see some of the men's underwear adds on Facebook. It's like soft core bloody porn but know a cartoon sillouette with everything covered is too far!
well, to me this is very sexual, so I completely understand.
That would mean they ever had it to begin with
Could they not just filter it?
Sorry I am too busy playing Gris for my third time to care about Facebook
@Flowerlark @Heythumb um may because those aren’t ads?
@Heavyarms55
It says they tried to appeal, in that case, someone had to review the ad content and decide that the algorithm was correct.
Yeah, yet Facebook isn't secure enough to not allow your data to be stolen by 3rd parties. F that site.
Gris is an incredibly great game!
@RandomLeo00 Yeah, and what I am suggesting is, they've got like 100 guys each sitting at a desk just clicking "reject" on any appeal that comes from a smaller company so they can get through a mountain of them every day.
Again, I don't think Facebook is right I just don't think they have a lot of choice, beyond hiring a ton more people and I don't think they are willing to do that. Executives are rarely if ever will to cut into their own wealth to fix a company problem, and that's probably what they'd have to do to hire enough.
If you stare at the picture intensely, you can see an image of a naked baboon.
Hopefully the ban will get this developer enough “earned media” like this! Cheaper than buying ads and creates more conversation.
Lovely game too.
Oh nooo, our art in advertisement!!
Lord's name in vain, NintendoLife this can't continue being news. It's bad enough that national radio around these parts has been bringing up political discussion on Facebook like it was actual news for the better part of a decade, but reporting on some floor level ad assistant employed by Facebook indifferently rejecting an image ad for some indie game, like it was a great injustice or a symbol of our times? Or like it was actually a news piece about video games?
It's not just getting out of hand with the victim mentality here, it out of hand already, and almost out of sight, accelerating towards the horizon on a trajectory straight off the planet and into deep space.
Cease this tomfoolery!
Banning an ad based on an automatic algorithm isn't ridiculous. What would be ridiculous is if Facebook didn't reconsider after Devolver's appeal.
People have been trying insanely hard to be offended about everything these past few years. There is no reason for things NOT to get worse in 2019.
PS: I am offended by the font on the letter "ç" (just trying to be modern)
@Heavyarms55
Is still not right as you said and makes reasonable for people to think they are pushing some kind of agenda.
Whatever the reason, I don't see why we should "side" with them (unless, Devolver isn't telling the full story, showing the correct reason for the ban, etc), wether it's from an agenda, incompetence or (maybe) just wanting them to pay more for privileges.
If they algorithm doesn't work and they appeal doesn't work either, just don't ban things.
@Pod
I think it's just because Gris is a game on Switch (and a good one, that could sell better with better or more ads).
Plus it's just weird to ban that picture for those reasons.
https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OGC.c78affa93d0770674230067f91c3fe83&pid=Api&rurl=https%3a%2f%2fmedia.giphy.com%2fmedia%2f3oEjI67Egb8G9jqs3m%2fgiphy.gif&ehk=CMNCpSrSjlX6nlCa3rXOXA
Super Meat boy I somewhat understood. I thought it was dumb, but I understood it. This makes no sense to me whatsoever.
@RandomLeo00 I'm not taking anyone's side, I am just pointing out a broken system that doesn't have an easy or clear fix. Facebook has become so bloated and massive it can't be properly controlled or maintained, but people have gotten it into their heads that "it's just a part of modern life now and everyone uses it"
Well, that's nonsense. Yes, I do use the "messenger" app on my phone, but purely for direct messaging only. I haven't posted on the website, nor left a comment or even read a status in nearly a year, and let me tell you, it's been a distinctly more pleasant year for it!
@RandomLeo00
You're sure to be right, I'm just hoping we won't have any more of this going forward. Devolver, as cool as they try to be, making themselves victims of a facebook routine operation, because railing on Zuckerberg & Co. is the new black, and NL picking up on it because they know gamers will drop their monocles at this kind of news.
It's not games, it's not related to game production or the culture of playing games, and it's barely even related to discussion of interactive entertainment as viewed by the rest of the world.
It's completely inconsequential shockbait.
Let me take a guess then, is it there’s that blue curves around her chest that shaped like her...you know, side boobs? If you see it that way it’s quite gorgeous actually
Facebook being ding dongs apparently.....
But violence and guns are fine
Facebook has been going downhill. 😒
Super disappointed. I clicked on this article expecting sexually suggestive imagery, but this weird statue thingy isn’t doing anything for me AT ALL. Get it together, Devolver Digital!
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