Facebook's problem with breastfeeding

“It's unfortunate that the simple act of feeding a child still leads to so much controversy,” said The Ottawa Citizen in an editorial. But the social-networking Web site Facebook has angered many parents by pulling down photos of breastfeeding moms. Facebook says it’s merely enforcing a ban on nude photos. Unfair or not, the company probably won’t change the policy—“nor should it”—unless angry moms find a way to hurt the company’s bottom line.

Let’s hope the “lactivists” keep the pressure on, said the Los Angeles Times in an editorial. Facebook, with 140 million members around the world, “is a powerful force in shaping cultural norms, and breastfeeding is a normal—and very healthy—part of raising a child.” If Facebook will allow photos of women in thong bikinis and couples making out, it surely can loosen its policy to permit images of proud mothers nursing their infants.

“Facebook’s policy is defensible from a business standpoint,” said Susan Nielsen in The Oregonian. It has a right to limit nudity. But this fight is just another example of how “the hard-earned legal rights you enjoy in the real world don't always apply online, where you are a ‘user‘ or a ‘member’ rather than a citizen. That's why Facebook's policy matters more than you'd think.”

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