Facebook & Instagram Bans Sexually Suggestive Use Of Eggplant & Peach Emojis

Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook are the four horsemen of the apocalypse.

And the rise of the four horsemen social media has ignited the inappropriate use of seemingly innocent visuals. I’m talking emojis.

What can we say, humans are visual communicators who’ve found their way around censorship. It’s just how we’re programmed.

Until…

Social channels, Facebook and Instagram (both of which belongs to the same company, Facebook), banned the inappropriate use of emojis as an effort to eradicate sexual solicitation on their platforms.

Not, not this.

“Quietly Banned” 

The new terms under the Facebook Community Standards were apparently imposed on September. Facebook has yet to release a list of the banned emojis.

According to The New York Post, the ban is specific towards those that are often used to convey suggestive sexual connotations.

The Facebook Community Standards describe the said “suggestive elements” as:

• Commonly used sexual emojis or emoji strings
• Sexualised slang
• The mention or depictions of sexual activities through imagery and art
• The depiction of actual nudity

As for the banned emojis, The New York Post highlighted that they are – the eggplant, the peach, and the water drip.

The eggplant is commonly used to depict the male genitalia.

The peach is a term for buttocks.

while the water drip is an inexplicit way of conveying ejaculation.

The Internet Reacts

Mixed reactions were gathered from netizens.

With some bringing up their concerns towards greater issues… I mean, global warming guys! Cyberbullying? Umm…

So they can’t ban political lies/propaganda but they’re all over the eggplant emoji?

— Fiona B 🌊 (@Feebeekiwi) October 29, 2019

While others poked fun at the ban.

There are other emojis that can be used sexually. You just gotta be creative. 👌👈

— Max #LockHimUp (@DuckDuckBieber) October 29, 2019

Others suggested the use of alternative emojis.

Sexual use of the #eggplant & #peach #emojis are now #banned on #Facebook & #Instagram. This is actually gr8 news for the banana, carrot, hotdog, taco, & donut emoji to finally make their debut. You know how long these guys have been waiting in the wings for their time to shine? pic.twitter.com/vEZxZHinXk

— Alan Boccadoro (@bocc1_) October 29, 2019

Guys, It’s Not Completely Banned 

The following, however, is not an outright ban. The ban will only be imposed if it becomes subject to the Facebook’s Sexual Solicitation Policy. So yes, you can still use them to your heart’s content.

According to the policy, it must first have an “offer to ask” for something sexual. This comes in the form of solicitation of sex, nudes, or even just pretty nasty chats.

Then comes the second part where suggestive elements, as mentioned earlier, are put into the picture.

So, guys and girls, run wild with thy emojis but use them with discretion. Let us make the internet a safe space for all its users and practice emoji etiquette… Or communicate in morse. That takes a hella long time to transcribe.