There is more to Facebook than just posting about what you ate for that day or telling the people in your circle of online friends about what you’re currently feeling. For businesses and other icons, the social networking portal is more than that as it is a gateway to get their messages across a wider range of audience in a near-instant manner as compared to knocking on doors. However, such a feature has come under fire recently after the popular social media website rejected an advertisement that featured a plus-sized model.
Facebook Apologizes for Rejecting an Ad That Featured a Plus-Sized Model
Soon after rejecting the advertisement, Facebook has apologized to an Australian feminist group after the website blocked an ad that featured Tess Holliday, a plus-sized model, while she was wearing a bikini. The company had told the group, which is called Cherchez La Femme, that the image was rejected due to their guidelines state they do not allow health and fitness ads to depict a particular body weight as being either “perfect or extremely undesirable,” which is according to the screenshot that has been posted towards the group’s page.
A Facebook ads representative said the following in the message: “Ads like these are not allowed because they make viewers feel bad about themselves.” Instead, the social networking portal suggested that the ad use “running or riding a bike” which they seem to feel to be more acceptable.
The advertisement in question was designed in order to promote an event that the group will be hosting which is called “Feminism and Fat.” A spokesperson from the group told Mashable that the 22-year-old Australian model did not approve that the photo will be used for the advertisement. However, members did try to contact her beforehand.
Hours after the screenshot of the rejection of the ad had been posted, a spokesperson from the social media firm said that it had reversed the course and apologized for the move on rejecting the advertisement, in which it said that it was their mistake.
The Facebook representative said the following in a statement: “Our team processes millions of advertising images each week, and in some instances we incorrectly prohibit ads. This image does not violate our ad policies (click here to know more about restrictions on Facebook and how to get of Facebook jail). We apologize for the error and have let the advertiser know we are approving their ad.” Jessamy Gleeson, Cherchez La Femme producer, told Mashable that their group is not satisfied with just a simple apology.