Violent and Graphic Content
Policy Rationale
We understand that people have different sensitivities with regard to graphic and violent imagery. To protect users from such content, we remove the most graphic content and add warning labels to other types of content so that people are aware it may be sensitive before they click through. We restrict the ability for younger users to see content that may not be suitable or age-appropriate for them. By doing so, we aim to provide an appropriate user experience, while continuing to provide space for our users to express themselves.
We recognize that users may share content in order to shed light on or condemn acts such as human rights abuses or armed conflict. Our policies consider when content shared in this context and allow room for discussion and awareness raising accordingly.
For paid advertising, we provide additional protections. For example, content that has been deemed sensitive is not eligible to run in ads. We also prohibit ads from including images and videos that are shocking, gruesome, or otherwise sensational. For more information, please consult our Advertising Standards.
Do not post:
Imagery of people
Videos of people, living or deceased, in non-medical contexts, depicting:
- Dismemberment.
- Visible innards, such as exposed organs, bones, or muscle tissue on living or deceased persons;
- Burning or charred persons; or
- Throat-slitting.
Live-streams of capital punishments.
Sadistic Remarks
Sadistic remarks are commentary – such as captions or comments – expressing joy or pleasure from the suffering or humiliation of people or animals.
We remove
- Sadistic remarks made toward imagery (both videos and still images) that otherwise receives a warning screen under this policy, advising people that the content may be sensitive; unless the imagery depicts acts of self-defense (e.g., video of someone defending themselves from armed robbery) or is in a medical context (e.g., an image of medical professionals performing surgery).
- Explicit sadistic remarks made towards the suffering of animals depicted in imagery, and imagery depicting animals going from live to dead.
- Offering or soliciting imagery that is deleted or receives a warning screen under this policy, when accompanied by sadistic remarks.
For the following content, we include a warning screen so that people are aware the content may be sensitive. We also limit the ability to view the content to adults, ages 18 and older:
Imagery of people
Videos of people, living or deceased, in medical contexts depicting:
- Dismemberment.
- VIsible innards, such as exposed organs, bones, or muscle tissue on living or deceased persons;
- Burning or charred persons, including in contexts of cremation; or
- Throat-slitting.
Still images of people, living or deceased, depicting:
- Dismemberment.
- Visible innards, such as exposed organs, bones, or muscle tissue on living or deceased persons;
- Burning or charred persons; or
- Throat-slitting.
Imagery (both videos and still images) depicting a persons violent death (including their moment of death or the aftermath) or a person experiencing a life threatening event (such as being struck by a car, falling from a great height, or experiencing other possibly-fatal physical injury).
Imagery depicting capital punishment of a person (excluding live-streams).
Imagery depicting acts of brutality (e.g., acts of violence or lethal threats on forcibly restrained subjects) committed against a person or group of people.
Imagery depicting non-medical foreign objects (e.g., knives, nails, or other metal objects) piercing a persons skin.
Imagery depicting a persons broken, bleeding teeth, removed teeth where blood is present; or the insertion of foreign objects into the teeth or gums.
Imagery depicting fetuses and babies outside of the womb that are deceased, unless another person is present in the image.
Imagery of animals
Any imagery of animals, living or dead, – depicting dismemberment, visible innards, burning or charring, or being boiled alive.
Imagery of animals going from live to dead.
Imagery of humans committing acts of brutality on living animals (e.g. kicking, drowning, or plucking feathers).
For the following content, we limit the ability to view it to users who are 16 and older:
Imagery of people
Imagery depicting partially or fully uncovered deceased people, even if there are no visible indicators of violent death.
Imagery depicting fetuses and babies outside of the womb that are deceased, when another person is present in the image.
Imagery depicting needles piercing a persons skin outside of a vaccination, acupuncture or dry-needling, tattooing, or piercing context.
Imagery depicting injured people in medical contexts when they appear to be in pain or distress, bruised, or with medical tubing in their face and/or hands.
Imagery depicting human waste and bodily fluids (e.g., feces, urine, vomit, earwax, mucus, byproduct of dermal extractions, or blood).
Imagery depicting vehicles that are burning or exploding, or depicting the moment or aftermath of speeding vehicles impact with other objects where the vehicle is dislodged from its path and / or the vehicles driver or passenger compartments are severely damaged.
Imagery of animals
Imagery depicting animals, living or dead, where visible blood is present.
Imagery depicting animals in a birthing context (e.g., there is blood or visible innards present).
Imagery depicting animals, living or dead, where insects are seen coming out of them (e.g., maggots or worms).
Imagery depicting injured animals suffering.
Fictional Imagery
Imagery depicting fictional people in the following contexts:
- Dismemberment;
- Visible innards, such as exposed organs, bones, or muscle tissue;
- Burning or charred persons;
- Throat-slitting; or
- Violent deaths or life threatening events.
Imagery depicting fictional people that is photorealistic (where the imagery looks like or closely resembles a photograph or video of a real person), in the following contexts:
- Non-medical foreign objects (e.g., knives, nails, or other metal objects) piercing the skin;
- Human waste or bodily fluids (e.g., feces, urine, vomit, earwax, mucus, or byproduct of dermal extractions), excluding blood;
- Deceased babies or fetuses outside the womb;
Imagery depicting fictional, but photorealistic, animals in the following contexts:
- Dismemberment;
- Visible innards, such as exposed organs, bones, or muscle tissue;
- Burning or charred animals;
- Animals being boiled alive;
- Blood is present;
- Animals going from live to dead;
- People committing acts of brutality (e.g., e.g. kicking, drowning, or plucking feathers) on living animals;
- Injured animals suffering
- Animals with insects coming out from inside them (e.g., maggots or worms).
For the following Community Standards, we require additional information and/or context to enforce:
We do not allow:
Imagery or audio of a persons violent death when the persons death is confirmed by law enforcement record, death certificate, Trusted Partner report, or media report and a family member of the deceased requests its removal.
Video of charred or burning humans in the context of self-immolation as an act of protest.
We may allow:
Imagery of a persons violent death or life-threatening event when the depiction is incidental
