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Facebook Apologizes to Iowa Birth Photographer
Filed under: Babies, In The News, Weird But True
Facebook apologized to Eckert on Thursday, saying the company mistakenly disabled her account in December after saying pictures she posted did not comply with its policies prohibiting nudity. Credit: AP
Facebook wrote in an e-mail to Laura Eckert that it had restored her account and that its decision to deactivate it on Dec. 22 was "in error." The company also apologized for "the inconvenience" she experienced.
Eckert's photography business, New Creation Photography & Design, specializes in pictures of pregnant women and the first moments of a baby's life. She uses Facebook to communicate with clients and highlight her work. She said she was shocked when Facebook told her last month it had removed inappropriate photos from her page, saying she had carefully cropped pictures to comply with company policies.
Eckert, 33, said when she tried to log on to find out which photos were targeted, she found her account was disabled. She said she sent 30 or more e-mails to Facebook to inquire and try to be reactivated and didn't get a response until Thursday, a day after KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids reported on her plight.
Her supporters had formed a group on Facebook to lobby for her reinstatement, saying the company was hypocritical for targeting photos they considered beautiful art while routinely allowing pictures of teenage girls dressed provocatively and others they consider obscene.
"It's funny it happened after the media got involved. I sent many polite e-mails asking for information over the course of the last few weeks and got no response. None," she said in an interview Thursday afternoon at her home in Shueyville, a small town between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids.
Facebook spokesman Simon Axten said the company reviews thousands of pieces of content every day and takes action to ensure Facebook "remains a safe and trusted environment for everyone."
"Of course, we make an occasional mistake. This is an example," he said in an e-mail. "When this happens, and it's brought to our attention, we work quickly to resolve the issue."
While Facebook never told Eckert which photos were inappropriate, she said she believes the one or two at issue were pictures she took of her friend, Leslie Kung, after Kung gave birth in her bathtub in May. The pictures show the mother and baby embracing for the first time, and parts of Kung's breasts can be seen, but not her nipples.
Eckert said Facebook warned her that some of Kung's birth photos were inappropriate when she first posted them in May because they contained nudity. She said she carefully went through them, removing some and cropping others to make sure they did not contain nipples or genitalia so they complied with Facebook policies. She said that was the last she heard of it until Facebook disabled her personal profile, business page and a page she started to connect with other birth photographers.
Eckert said she was relieved to be able to log on to Facebook again, but that she's still unclear which birth photos the company allows. She sent another inquiry Thursday trying to find out.
"I need a little bit of clarity on what is a violation and what's not. I'm going to shoot another birth in a week or two and I'm going to want to share those photos," she said. "I see the miraculousness of it. Maybe that clouds my judgment a little bit."
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL. This article was written by RYAN J. FOLEY, Associated Press.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 3)
1-07-2011 @ 8:18PM
LR said...HMMM,,,is she using Facebook to advertise her services and not paying a fee???
Reply
1-07-2011 @ 8:58PM
spikesone said...i am tired of women shoving their births in our face. first it was breatfeeding were ever they want now we have to watch them push out their squid. down with the breaders
Reply
1-07-2011 @ 8:45PM
PA said...dont get all mad cause you are gay and cannot reproduce. nobody is yelling at you for having a colorful parade or shoving your issues down our throats. dont go around attacking people.
1-07-2011 @ 10:23PM
sandi said...I don't do facebook, but aren't the pictures on their page? If you are allowed on their page then you are a friend and you know what this person is about. If you are not a friend, do you even see these pics? If not, what's the big deal?
And I don't think he's gay, I think he had a mean mommy and he doesn't like women but that doesn't mean he likes men. I'd veture to say, he doesn't like ANYBODY and nobody really cares.
1-07-2011 @ 9:33PM
overtgabby said...You dont have to look at her facebook page.. maybe other people like the beauty of childbirth
1-07-2011 @ 9:48PM
Pamela said...You should try spell-check.
1-07-2011 @ 10:29PM
TTkayers said...I am sure your mom is wishing she had gone and gotten an abortion when she was pregnant with you because having you makes her a "breeder". Way to go you fall into the F A I L catagory!
1-07-2011 @ 11:32PM
JoeSwatzell said...What is a BREADER....too bad your mom was a breeder.
1-08-2011 @ 1:07AM
becky said...I think that you might mean "breeders." "Breaders" would be an entirely different, much more culinary, type of person.
1-07-2011 @ 8:28PM
Sue said...Just because someone sees beauty in the birth process doesn't mean others do. Same as breast feeding in public. Some things are just private and should be kept that way
Reply
1-08-2011 @ 1:43AM
Shayna said...It IS private. She uses her facebook account to converse with clients and share photos of her work. No it is not free advertising, because most modern businesses just want to reach potential clients and many keep accounts on different social networking. This woman's facebook account for her business is private, if you don't find the beauty in the pictures, then don't look at her facebook, don't search her name or business' name. Duh, jeez, just because you don't agree with someone's work or belief doesn't mean you can be disrespectful, or that just because you don't agree with the message you can't gain knowledge or understanding.
1-07-2011 @ 9:24PM
softrbreeze said...That's ridiculous! Breasts weren't put there for YOU. Good grief, a child needs to eat and the milk is going to come out when the baby cries anyway. Are you offended by BRA commercials? I bet you really LIKE those. Jerk!
1-07-2011 @ 9:46PM
joannroth said...Mothers who CHOOSE to breast feed should not be allowed to force the rest of us watch her. If you choose to breast feed then do so where I don't have to sit and listen to a baby sucking and grunting and you trying to keep your tit in the baby's mouth. If you want to do it, go right ahead but be prepared for me to complain every time I see it in public. Public is no place for Private business and breast feeding is private.
1-07-2011 @ 9:51PM
Laura said...I agree. If you don't like it...DON'T FREAKIN LOOK! I saw a poster at my WIC office that breastfeeding is PROTECTED BY LAW YOU FRICKIN IDIOTS. It is NOT obscene, nor illegal. As long as the nipple isn't showing in these pics (she said they weren't) then it is NOT offensive. Go get fricking educated and go bury your stupid intolerant heads up your butts. I have 5 kids and I PROUDLY breastfeed WHENEVER and WHEREVER I WANT. The baby is hungry--Mama feeds him (or her)...
Idiots.
1-07-2011 @ 10:14PM
anniewheelr said...When I was breast feeding many years ago, I did it privately. If a mother can't do it discretely (under a blanket, whatever) then she needs to go home or to her car and feed the baby.
She also can carry a bottle of formula for the baby until she can get to a location where she can privately nurse the baby.
The same goes for changing a baby in public.
As for this woman...sounds like she is advertising her business. Otherwise she would not have pictures publically displayed.
1-07-2011 @ 11:12PM
julziaisadore said...joan sooo a baby who is being breast fed and becomes hungry is not allowed to be fed in public in the manner its mother chose??? you are saying you will COMPLAIN every time you see it. Does that mean if you were BOTTLE feeding a baby and it grunts and such (just like the BREAST feeding baby) that I can complain about YOU?
1-07-2011 @ 11:32PM
Joeswatzell said...I am glad laura clarified what is and what is not offensive. SHE HAS SPOKEN...IT MUST BE SO!
Anniewheelr....thank you for the use of a towel or blanket. I trust it did not permanently scar you or your child as these others have suggested the HUGE imposition for consideration of others may have done to them and theirs.
1-07-2011 @ 8:37PM
JIM said...Why does facebook have the right to take down pictures but when people post pictures of me and tag them(or don't tag them) I have to live with that. I don't have the right to delete a picture of myself. It's BS.
Reply
1-07-2011 @ 8:56PM
Jane said...At least she got a warning. My account was disabled without ANY warning and have no clue why. I sent an e-mail to them but have not received any answer back yet. After further research, I find I'm not the ONLY one. Several other people had their accounts disabled without warnings. Now all I can do is wait and wait and wait.
Reply
1-07-2011 @ 9:23PM
Angie said...Mine was disabled too without any warning the day after Thanksgiving and I emailed them too. It took about 4 days until they re-enabled my account. You will get an email to fill out a form to explain the problem and they should get back to you. I did see on line that it does happen to A LOT of people. All they told me was that it was a mistake on their part and apologized.