What to Do if Your Sexual Wellness Content is Flagged on Instagram in 2024

As if social media content creation for small businesses wasn’t already a challenge, sexual wellness censorship on Meta and other social platforms often hinders momentum.

Typically, Instagram offers the option to appeal a post that is allegedly in violation of their Community Guidelines. However, depending on the number of violations you’ve accumulated, or the type of content violation, you might not have the option to appeal.

“It is our policy to remove content that violates our community guidelines. We may remove entire posts if either the imagery or associated captions violate our guidelines. We also may disable entire accounts for violations of our Community Guidelines.”

Question:

"Sometimes the option to “Appeal Decision” does not come up for me on Instagram with flagged posts. Any tips on what to do then? :(

(As in, the button is there but it is shaded, so I can’t click on it.)"

Answer:

First, if you aren’t sure if you have any flagged posts on Instagram, it’s easy to check.

Go to Settings & Activity → scroll all the way down to More Info and Support → click on Account Status.

If you have any flagged posts, you will see the screen on the left, followed by the screen on the right when you view the flagged posts.

What to Do if Your Sexual Wellness Content is Flagged on Instagram

If you are unable to Request A Review or Submit Review Request for an account violation, Instagram might be preventing that if you have requested a review in the last 90 days.

Option A: Delete the Post

If this is a content violation, just delete the post entirely. You’re not going to get very far if that content stays on your feed. The last thing you want to do is keep stacking up Instagram strikes, and it’s not worth waiting for their human Oversight Board to review the post. Delete it, move on, and continue to post within the Community Guidelines.

Meta’s human appeals team is reviewing thousands (maybe millions) of appeals every day. There is no telling if and when your posts will come back in the green.

Option B: Appeal and Wait

If the content was acquiring a high number of views, likes, or shares before it got flagged, you can try to appeal it and wait to see what happens.

Option C: Report it as a Technical Problem

Try reporting it as a “technical” problem. In that case, you might at least have a more definitive answer directly from Instagram. Here is a link with more information on how to report a problem.

If your account is disabled, deactivated, or shadowbanned right now, you are only able to appeal 24 hours after being notified in the app. All you can do at that point is send a direct request to Instagram, using this link.

Meta Community Guidelines

“Make sure to include as much detail about the problem as possible in your report. Information like the kind of phone or tablet you were using, what you were doing when the problem occurred and adding a screenshot may help us address the issue.”

Instagram Statement

“We will store the information in your report and other reports like it only for as long as required to resolve the issue you are reporting. We will not use the information in your report for other purposes.”

This means that they will supposedly not analyze the rest of your account for potential violations.

Important Reminders

• If you can appeal a post, it can take days or a week to be cleared, even if you deleted the initial post that triggered the restriction.

• You will get the same Account Status every single time you post until they clear your account.

• If Instagram deactivates your account, you will have up to 30 days to send an appeal and regain access. If you don’t respond within 30 days, your account will be permanently disabled, and you will lose access to your content, followers, direct messages, and account information.

The topic of flagged Instagram content for sexual wellness businesses and sex educators sparks frustration, for good reason.

Some industry folks have a difficult time acknowledging the fact that adult industry professionals are at risk for shadow bans, account violations, and suspensions for various sex-related imagery, captions, and keywords. This includes keywords in your Instagram handle (account name) and your bio.

Is it unfair? Yes.

Is having access to Instagram (and being able to share your message) better than having no Instagram at all? In my opinion, also yes.

Play it safe. Keep it clean.