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Is Instagram Biased Against Fatter 'Belfies'?

Is Instagram Biased Against Fatter 'Belfies'?

By Indo Asian News Service | Updated: 26 May 2014 20:06 IST

Forget selfies as the war has now moved to "belfies". The online photo-video sharing website Instagram has recently been accused of censoring plump, underwear-clad bottom while continuing to allow skinnier, skimpier clothed bodies to appear.

A Californian musician and video blogger Meghan Tonjes who posted pictures of her body on Instagram as part of her story of her weight loss, accused Instagram of double standards.

She posted her "belfie" in black underwear but Instagram told her the picture breached community guidelines including its nudity and "mature content" clause and removed her photo.

(Also see: Instagram Update for iOS Removes Auto-Sharing to Facebook Feature)

The company later restored the photo following criticism on social media and apologised to Tonjes, Daily Life reported.

"Our guidelines put limitations on nudity and mature content but we recognise we do not always get it right," an Instagram spokesperson was quoted as saying.

According to Tonjes, photographs of skinny women wearing lingerie continue to be posted on Instagram.

(Also see: Instagram updates its Explore page to make it more personalised)

"By taking my picture down, Instagram was continuing a bias against fatter women," she accused.

Last week, the company briefly suspended the account of fashion magazine Vogue's creative director Grace Coddington after she posted a photo of a whimsical, revealing sketch.

Instagram reinstated her account later.

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