What kind of person besides the parents would actually want to look at those pictures? Keep them private.

I don't find it obscene, but I agree with rosy that it should be kept private.

I don't find it obscene in the least, nor do I think they need to be kept private. If someone wants to share, that's their business. I do however understand Facebook's stand and I am not angered that I can't use Facebook to share breastfeeding photos with my family. I wouldn't sign the petition.

Of course, they need to be consistent. The picture above does not show nipple or areola, so it can't be used as an example of violating the terms. They should also remove the "obscene, pornographic, or sexually explicit" portion of the definition, as breastfeeding does not fall into that category. It should simply be any picture that shows areola or nipple. A bikini photo could show that as well and not be obscene, pornographic, or sexually explicit.

I just don't get why people feel the need to put pics of themselves breastfeeding on Facebook. But then again, your profile is private unless a person adds you so if they put it in their album what's the big deal.

You can also make your album that only friends can see, or even only certain friends. I'd make a breastfeeding album on there for certain friends and family, and limit it to them. However, like I said, I'm not upset that I can't due to their policy.

I love breastfeeding photos, I think they're gorgeous.

I believe there's no reason for facebookers to post breastfeeding pictures. If you want to share them with family, email them or like greggie said make an album for only fm's to see. And I also believe facebook's terms are clear, here's a copy of what it says:

In addition, you agree not to use the Service or the Site to:
upload, post, transmit, share, store or otherwise make available any content that we deem to be harmful, threatening, unlawful, defamatory, infringing, abusive, inflammatory, harassing, vulgar, obscene, fraudulent, invasive of privacy or publicity rights, hateful, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable;

I would assume this goes under "otherwise objectionable"

Ya see compromise. Facebook doesn't know what that means.

I don't think breast feeding is obsene BUT it is private. I understand that it is a natural part of life, but so is sex, and you can't put that on facebook! I have pictures of my son naked on facebook but I would totally understand if I was told to take them off. Women have to stop being so sensitive about this. You have a right to do what you want with your life and body, but that doesn't mean you should be able to post those pics that might not be okay for the public. Especially on a site like facebook, which has people of ALL ages. I wouldn't want my son looking at a woman breastfeeding on facebook one day! Would you? Think about that!!!

Yeah, I'm on the fence about this. I see nothing wrong with breastfeeding pictures, especially if they're private and not shoved in everybody's face. I also don't think that type of picture is any less "objectionable" than some of the risque pictures I've seen on some of my friends' profiles. There's usually less boob shown bf'ing than there is when you're wearing a skimpy bikini. I guess it all depends on what they "deem" objectionable. Example: the picture of Angelina on the cover of "W" magazine...is that something they would ban? That might be crossing the line.

However, I'm not offended or "furious." I won't be signing a petition.

Just to be clear, I not saying anyone SHOULD make their pictures private, only what I would do. I have no problem with publicly shared nursing photos, I just choose not to do it myself.

I really don't think it matters how you feel about breastfeeding pictures. The problem is they broke the terms of use. Facebook needs to draw a line in the sand, that line includes showing areola. I think unfortunately using the words "obscene, pornographic or sexually explicit material" is the problem. You can show nudity in many ways that are not any of the above words. They have their rights and I won't be signing any petitions or getting up in arms about it. I feel like maybe a little of the kickback might have to do with some of the stigma put on BF'ing moms. I know with my first son I felt like people were freaked out by it and I often ended up in the back room by myself.

I just think mom's who breastfeed should not be offended by people who are freaked out by it, especially by those who are not mothers. You cannot understand what breastfeeding is about until you do it yourself, so it is totally understandable for someone who has not experienced it to be a bit freaked out by the idea or looking at it. Before I had my son, it seemed so strange to me that your child could feed off of you. Once I have it a shot, I realized that it is not strange at all and it just felt natural. Like I said above, breastfeeeding mothers should not be so sensitive about it because they are just dealing with people that don't understand it.

I understand both sides of this. I love breaetfeeding photos and will definitely have them of myself and kids.

mstrauss, I actually won't mind if my kids look at breastfeeding pictures. I'm going to teach them that it is a natural wonderful thing and it's not something to be sexualized.

macgirl said it much better than I did.

I do reserve the right to be offended by people who tell me I'm freaky and gross to breastfeed my child (especially where anyone can see) though. I don't get all up in arms about it, but I don't think it's fair to say I just shouldn't get offended by someone saying something crappy.

I also understood "what breastfeeding was about" before I had kids and breastfed them. At 8 and 6, my boys understand what it's about.

mstrauss, I agree 100% with you!

I think the petition is silly. FB is a company and they are making a choice here on what they deem inappropriate. It's time we let businesses conduct business without getting up in arms about every little thing we don't like. There is a free market out there or at least there used to be. If these users don't like it they can quit their FB account or be industrious and start their own social networking site. If FB does back down on this I will be disappointed and have to start my own petition.

What kind of weirdo would actually want people to look at pictures of them breastfeeding their child? Breastfeeding is certainly not obscene, but it should be done in private and KEPT private.

I think I understood what breastfeeding was about before having kids but that doesn't mean I wasn't freaked out when I saw a woman doing it in public. That's unfortunate but it is the case for many people. There are just so many emotions and strong feelings that come with being a mommy and choosing how you feed your child. I understand the kickback that Facebook is getting from BF'ing moms as they are up in arms about it not being "obscene, pornographic or sexually explicit material". I think if they modify those terms so they don't seem to just contain stuff of a deviant nature then maybe people will back down. Or maybe they won't as there is a lot of emotional stuff that goes with BF'ing and formula feeding for that matter.

I agree that it's the case, and it truly doesn't bother me if people are freaked out by it. What bothers me is when people say it shouldn't be allowed or label me freaky for doing it. After 8 years of it, it now mostly rolls off my back but it doesn't make the comments any less crappy.

I'm a weirdo who has no problem with breastfeeding photos, though.

I'm glad to hear that you aren't bothered by people who are freaked out by it. And I do agree that people shouldn't be saying mean things to you if/when you are breastfeeding. But I do think that while your kids may understand what breastfeeding is, I think that teenage boys are teenage boys!

I can understand why the pictures were removed. Just because some people view the naked body as art and beautiful, doesn't mean it's okay to post pictures of it on websites that MANY imature children frequently visit. Which is exactly what facebook is. That's why they have terms and thats why women can't be offended by this. If these moms really want to share their breatfeeding photos there are websites for moms that will allow them to post such pictures. Facebook just isn't that place!

My nephews are teenage boys and aren't freaked by it because they've been with it their own lives. I hope to have my boys retain the same attitude.

RenSis, by the same token, Facebook must be fair and also remove bikini shots that expose the same amount of skin. They keep saying they are not targeting breastfeeding, and I don't believe they are, but if they allow other inappropriate photos to remain and remove breastfeeding ones, they hurt their cause immensely. In many searches, I've had photos turn up as the profile photo that expose everything but the nipple. Most breastfeeding photos do not expose the areola and certainly don't expose the nipple since the baby's covering it.

Consistency and fairness is all they need to do. Facebook also "isn't that place" for a profile picture of a naked woman lying on her stomach with her butt exposed if "many immature children frequently visit."

although i'm not particularly interested in looking at those kinds of pictures, i find it a bit hypocritical that i get an obscene amount friend requests from morbidly obese middle-aged turkish men whose pictures are of them topless. their nipples are probably larger and their breasts more developed than around half those of new moms.

I don't see a problem with the pics unless they were made public. But I can see where they maybe did violate the terms. It's their site and and they can do what they want with it, they just want to make the majority happy. Unfortunately this might backfire on them. I do disagree that breastfeeding is a private issue. Laws make it so that you can breastfeed whenever and where ever and if people give you a a hoot about it they are in big trouble. In my mind I see pics of breastfeeding the same way.

dammit, I had every intention of posting pictures of my breasts on facebook under the pretense of breast-feeding, NOW what will I do on saturday nights??

lololol

It seems to me like most new moms can't stand for the world not to bow down to them, so this doesn't surprise me. I think it's silly to get up-in-arms about Facebook not allowing gross pictures of you breastfeeding your baby, but I also think it would be silly to get up-in-arms about their FB petition group. So... meh.

I am really shocked that there are women who would have a problem with this. Breasts are for feeding babies. Do you think eating is obscene, or is it only babies eating that is? It is our culture that turned breasts into a sexual object. To sexualize feeding a child, and therefore condem it is really just disgusting to me.

In my experience, new moms who expect people to bow down to them were that way before they had kids, too. Being a new mom didn't make them more self-centered, they were that way to begin with.

I can see someone having an album for photos of their baby and than there being some breastfeeding photos in it. I don't think it should be deleted. The chance that a stranger or a child would chance upon those photos is very small.

And what is with the fear for a child to see a nipple? It's just a nipple, it won't hurt anyone. And most breastfeeding pics don't even show any nipple.

I don't find it obscene at all, but who in the HELL wants to see you breastfeeding? Keep that $h!t private!!!

I think breastfeeding is a private moment between baby and mom, and should be kept private. Why do you need to post pictures on the Internet? Our society complains that there is no privacy, but we open ourselves up and then we complain.

i don't find it obscene in the least i think it is natural and beautiful, what i don't understand is why would anyone want to look at pictures of a woman breastfeeding, or why would anyone want to share those pictures

why the eff would you ever want to post that on the internet?!?!?!?!?!??!?!??!?!

hey "moms" this is another case of the world doesn't revolve around you.. a petition with a thousand goes to show the majority doesn't agree that breastfeeding pictures should be on facebook.. why do you assume people want to see this? i think it's a beautiful thing, but not to post on a social networking sight.. it's just TMI.. facebook started out as a college networking website, and then added high schools, then networks, and now everyone is welcome.. i am sure there are similar websites for mother's that would allow, and even support breast feeding pictures, status updates, etc.. why not go to those? i really have an issue with this, and hope that whomever posted those takes them off if she ever wants to pursue a job outside of the home, etc.. even if you post your pictures and make them private, it's a public networking site, and it gets out..

pinkprincess, you're a little far from reality.. the MAJORITY of people do not enjoy looking at a woman's boob.

phatE that's what pinkprincess said.

"what i don't understand is why would anyone want to look at pictures of a woman breastfeeding, or why would anyone want to share those pictures."

Scanning through some of the pics of my friends, breastfeeding pics is the least of their worries.

The claim about not showing areola is total BS by the way. There are groups on Facebook that are pretty much nothing but collections of pictures of boobies. They may not be profile pics, but they are there. And no one is complaining about breasts being shown in a sexual context.

I personally don't care if they're shown in a sexual or a nurturing context, they don't offend me. I think it's twisted that breastfeeding is viewed in a sexual light, but then I also find it twisted that the sexual is so often vilified as pornographic.

There is a simple alternative...It is called Wee Web (http://www.wee-web.com). It allows parents to post and share pictures with only their closest friends and family. It does not ban breastfeeding. While I use Facebook, with baby photos, I opt for Wee Web.

Like tons of people I don't find breastfeeding obscene at all and breastfeeding in public isn't bad, but it's nice when that women actually tries to cover herself the best she can. I was bashed by at least 5 different moms on a facebook group for saying that when I breastfeed someday, I'll be sure to cover myself. I have the right to my own opinion and can do what I want, do they think that covering yourself and your feeding baby means you're ashamed?? No it doesn't but I don't want strangers (or any male members of my family besides my husband) looking at my bare breast feeding a baby. It's personal and special to me and no one should tell me otherwise.
Go ahead and breastfeed in public with or without the blanket but what I don't understand is why a lot of women take pictures of it and post it on the internet????? One woman told me "if you don't like it don't look at it". Um, it's not that I look at it intentionally, pictures like that can pop up when you least expect it (just like actually porn). I'm a little bit mad right now for being blasted by breastfeeding moms just because I said I refuse to leave myself uncovered someday...

I agree that they should be banned. I feel that mothers who post pics of themselves breastfeeding their babies on Facebook are using the baby as an excuse to show off their big fat milky boobs. If you know that no one wants to watch you stick your tit in your kids mouth, do it privately and quit shoving it down everyones freakin' throats!! For crying out loud....I nursed my 2 sons and I don't feel the need to flaunt my boobs around, why do YOU????? WHY?