MENLO PARK, CA — Instagram announced today that it will exclude content that promotes the harmful practice of conversion therapy — a step taken by the Facebook-owned social media platform to curtail online hatred and harmful disinformation.
Earlier this year, Instagram announced that it would no longer accept ads that promote fake "cures" for sexual orientation and gender identity. These fraudulent treatments have been shown to cause shame, depression, low self-esteem, and sometimes suicide amongst LGBTQ youth. Born Perfect worked with Facebook on this initiative.
"We consulted with Facebook's team directly on creating an algorithm to help detect advertising by conversion therapist and delete those advertisements," said Mathew Shurka, Born Perfect co-founder and chief strategist.
Now Instagram's official restriction applies to all content, not just ads.
"These fraudulent practitioners and organizations have exploited platforms like Instagram to prey on vulnerable LGBTQ people," said Shurka. "Removing this harmful practice will save lives."
"We don't allow attacks against people based on sexual orientation or gender identity and are updating our policies to ban the promotion of conversion therapy services," Tara Hopkins, Instagram's public policy director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said in a statement. "We have removed violating content from @coreissuestrusttv. We are always reviewing our policies and will continue to consult with experts and people with personal experiences to inform our approach." ( Link: www.cnn.com/2020/07/10/tech/instagram-conversion-therapy-ban-scli-intl-gbr/index.html )
Born Perfect calls upon Facebook and other social media to follow Instagram's example, and actively reduce harmful disinformation against LGBTQ+ people on their platforms.
Born Perfect is a survivor-led campaign created by the National Center for Lesbian Right ( NCLR ) in 2014 to end conversion therapy by passing laws across the country that protect LGBT children and young people, fighting in courtrooms to ensure their safety, and raising awareness about the serious harms caused by these dangerous practices. bornperfect.org/ .
