Pornhub responds to permanent Instagram ban in open letter

Pornhub was banned from Instagram earlier this month, leaving its 13 million followers sad, lonely, and horny. At the time, the famed purveyor of butts and boobs was confident Instagram would eventually reinstate it. Unfortunately, Pornhub's suspension has now been made permanent instead, exiling it from Meta's garden of influencers for good.

"We've permanently disabled this Instagram account for repeatedly violating our policies," a Meta spokesperson said in a statement to Mashable.

Pornhub's Instagram account was over 10 years old at the time of its untimely demise, during which it had accumulated a history of warnings and suspensions. This contributed to the adult entertainment platform's initial belief that this latest suspension would be temporary as well. 

In a statement to Mashable at the time, Pornhub noted that though its account had been temporarily disabled "many times in the past due to Instagram’s overly cautious censoring of the adult industry," it had always bounced back. Pornhub also stated that such suspensions are an issue many adult performers have had to contend with regardless of whether they actually violate Instagram's terms of service. 

Sadly, Instagram's statement indicates Pornhub won't be back this time.

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Responding to the ban in an open letter shared on Pornhub's official Twitter account, the adult website accused Instagram of "opaque, discriminatory, and hypocritical enforcement of its own Terms and Policies." It also called for Instagram to provide an explanation and guidance regarding why sex workers' accounts are frequently deleted, alleging that the actual content posted doesn't violate any of the platform's policies.

"We demand that Instagram immediately end all discrimination toward those involved in the adult industry," wrote Pornhub. "This means providing full transparency and clear explanations for any suspended or banned accounts, ending shadow banning practices, and immediately reinstating all accounts, including Pornhub, that have not violated any of Instagram's Terms and Policies."

Pornhub's letter was undersigned by numerous professionals and organisations in the pornography industry, including adult entertainers' trade group Free Speech Coalition; sex workers' union Adult Performance Artists Guild; and well-known actors Riley Reid, Asa Akira, and Adriana Chechik.

Pornhub declined to comment further when reached by Mashable.

Significantly, Pornhub's letter noted that "[w]hile mainstream brands and celebrity accounts frequently feature nudity and overt sexuality with no repercussions, our fully PG accounts are regularly banned without adequate explanation."

The letter specifically cited an Instagram post of Kim Kardashian's "fully exposed ass" that the celebrity uploaded two weeks ago, and which still remains live. "[F]ully nude close-ups of buttocks" are prohibited under Meta's nudity policy, though it does make an exception for where they are "photoshopped on a public figure."

Regardless of whether Kardashian's butt has been digitally enhanced or not, the lack of censure for such posts does at least give the appearance of unequal treatment on the face of it. While Instagram has taken down celebrities' posts in the past, such instances have typically involved exceedingly obvious and egregious policy violations such as "uncovered female nipples."

It's currently unclear exactly what content Pornhub may have posted to prompt its unceremonious ejection from Instagram. And unfortunately for everyone in the adult industry, it doesn't seem likely to get any clearer.