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Facebook might reconsider artistic nudity policies after protest

Talks of a compromise come days after a nude protest over rules that restrict nudity on the site.

Shelby Brown Editor II
Shelby Brown (she/her/hers) is an editor for CNET's services team. She covers tips and tricks for apps, operating systems and devices, as well as mobile gaming and Apple Arcade news. Shelby also oversees Tech Tips coverage. Before joining CNET, she covered app news for Download.com and served as a freelancer for Louisville.com.
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  • She received the Renau Writing Scholarship in 2016 from the University of Louisville's communication department.
Shelby Brown
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Artist and photographer Spencer Tunick created a nude installation outside of Facebook's New York office on Sunday.

Fay Fox

After a demonstration in the buff outside of Facebook's New York office on Sunday, the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) said the social media site has agreed to reconsider its nudity policies.

Facebook's policy team committed to convening a group including artists, art educators, museum curators and activists as well as Facebook employees to examine how to better serve artists, according to a press release from the NCAC on Wednesday.

This would include considering a new approach to nudity guidelines. 

"We are working directly with representatives from  Facebook's  policy team and they informed us of their commitment to convene this group with our collaboration," Nora Pelizzari, NCAC director of communications, said in an email. 

Currently, Facebook's policies restrict the display of public nudity, but make certain allowances, such as when it's used as "a form of protest, to raise awareness about a cause, or for educational or medical reasons," and the intent is clear. Still, some artists say the policies hinder them from sharing their work online. 

Pelizzari said the team will likely meet later in the summer, in late July or early August. Until the first meeting, it's hard to know how frequently the group will meet or what the next steps will look like, she added.

Facebook didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

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