“Stop censoring tits”

The impact of Instagram’s content moderation on feminist artists in the UK

Bibliographic Data

ID19224615
AuthorsAlejandra Córdova (University of Glasgow, corresponding author), Catherine Happer (0000-0002-9711-8544, University of Glasgow)
Year2026
Pages1-20
Publication date2026-06-12
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFeminist Media Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1468-0777 • E-ISSN: 1471-5902
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/14680777.2026.2684667
OpenAlexW7164526973
LanguageEN
References cited38

This article reports on a study which explored feminist artists’ perceptions and experiences of Instagram’s content moderation of their work. Using qualitative research methods, 15 individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with UK-based artists who explore feminist themes such as body positivity, self-love, sexism, and female sexuality, among others. Guided by feminist theory, interviews sought to understand the diverse ways artists understand, experience, resist, and negotiate platform governance. Findings demonstrate how their work challenges gendered stereotypes and inequalities, thus constructing oppositional representations of female sexuality, femininity, and gender. They also suggest that moderation practices target and label feminist art as inappropriate, resulting in its removal. Through these discussions, we expose an unequal, powerful, and confusing governance system that grants a limited and negotiated agency to users who depend on these platforms for income, creative expression, and visibility.

Censoring (clinical trials) · Content (measure theory) · Content analysis · Moderation · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Hate Speech and Cyberbullying Detection · Social Media and Politics

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Open DOIOpen Access