Adult Sexual Solicitation and Sexually Explicit Language

Policy details

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Policy Rationale

As noted in the Adult Sexual Exploitation policy, people use Facebook to discuss and draw attention to sexual violence and exploitation. We recognize the importance of and allow for this discussion.We also allow for the discussion of sex worker rights advocacy and sex work regulation. We draw the line, however, when content facilitates sexual encounters or commercial sexual services between adults. We do this to avoid facilitating transactions that may involve trafficking, coercion and non-consensual sexual acts.

We also restrict sexually-explicit language that may lead to sexual solicitation because some audiences within our global community may be sensitive to this type of content, and it may impede the ability for people to connect with their friends and the broader community.

Do not post:

Content that offers or asks for prostitution, defined as offering oneself or asking for sexual activities in exchange for money or anything of value such as:

  • Offering or asking for sexual activity (for example, escort services, sexual/erotic massages, sex chats/conversations, fetish/domination services)
  • Slang terms for prostitution combined with an ask or offer of availability, price, hint at price, or compensation, location, or contact information
  • Content that engages in explicit or implicit sexual solicitation combined with a price, hint at price, or compensation
  • Content that recruits or offers other people for third-party commercial sex work is separately considered under the Human Exploitation policy.

Content that engages in explicit sexual solicitation by, offering or asking for sexual activities such as:

  • Sex or sexual partners (including partners who share fetish or sexual interests).
  • Sex chat or conversations.
  • Nude photos/videos/imagery/sexual fetish items.
  • Offers or asks that include sexual slang terms.

Content that engages in implicit or indirect sexual solicitation (defined as sharing contact information, or suggesting to be contacted directly) with a sexually suggestive element. Sexually suggestive elements can include content prohibited under the Adult Nudity and Sexual Activity policy or mentions or depictions of regionalized sexual slang, commonly sexualized emojis, sexually suggestive poses, sexual roles, sex positions, fetish scenarios, state of arousal, etc.

Content that offers or asks for pornographic material including, but not limited to, sharing of links to external pornographic websites.

Sexually explicit language that goes into graphic detail about:

  • A state of sexual arousal (e.g., wetness or erection)
  • An act of sexual intercourse (e.g., sexual penetration, self-pleasuring or exercising fetish scenarios)
  • The above does not include content shared in a humorous, satirical or educational context, as a sexual metaphor or as sexual cursing

We allow content that is otherwise covered by this policy when posted in condemnation, educational, awareness raising or news reporting contexts. We also do not prohibit under the policy content expressing desire for sexual activity, promoting sex education, discussing sexual practices or experiences, or offering classes or programs that teach about sex.

For the following Community Standards, we require additional information and/or context to enforce:

  • In certain cases, we will allow content that may otherwise violate the Community Standards when it is determined that the content is satirical. Content will only be allowed if the violating elements of the content are being satirized or attributed to something or someone else in order to mock or criticize them.

User experiences

See some examples of what enforcement looks like for people on Facebook, such as: what it looks like to report something you don’t think should be on Facebook, to be told you’ve violated our Community Standards and to see a warning screen over certain content.

Note: We’re always improving, so what you see here may be slightly outdated compared to what we currently use.

Reporting
1
Universal entry point

We have an option to report, whether it’s on a post, a comment, a story, a message or something else.

2
Get started

We help people report things that they don’t think should be on our platform.

3
Select a problem

We ask people to tell us more about what’s wrong. This helps us send the report to the right place.

4
Report submitted

After these steps, we submit the report. We also lay out what people should expect next.

Post-report communication
1
Update via notifications

After we’ve reviewed the report, we’ll send the reporting user a notification.

2
More detail in the Support Inbox

We’ll share more details about our review decision in the Support Inbox. We’ll notify people that this information is there and send them a link to it.

3
Appeal option

If people think we got the decision wrong, they can request another review.

4
Post-appeal communication

We’ll send a final response after we’ve re-reviewed the content, again to the Support Inbox.

Takedown experience
1
Immediate notification

When someone posts something that doesn't follow our rules, we’ll tell them.

2
Additional context

We’ll also address common misperceptions and explain why we made the decision to enforce.

3
Policy Explanation

We’ll give people easy-to-understand explanations about the relevant rule.

4
Option for review

If people disagree with the decision, they can ask for another review and provide more information.

5
Final decision

We set expectations about what will happen after the review has been submitted.

Warning screens
1
Warning screens in context

We cover certain content in News Feed and other surfaces, so people can choose whether to see it.

2
More information

In this example, we give more context on why we’ve covered the photo with more context from independent fact-checkers

Enforcement

We have the same policies around the world, for everyone on Facebook.

Review teams

Our global team of over 15,000 reviewers work every day to keep people on Facebook safe.

Stakeholder engagement

Outside experts, academics, NGOs and policymakers help inform the Facebook Community Standards.

Get help with sexual solicitation

Learn what you can do if you see something on Facebook that goes against our Community Standards.