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Video mocks Facebook's censorship of nudity in Flemish Masters' paintings

10:46 24/07/2018

Flanders' tourism federation, Toerisme Vlaanderen, has had a playful dig at Facebook for censoring nudity in paintings by the Flemish Masters.

The social network's censorship policy does not currently distinguish between pornography and artistic nudity - meaning several posts promoting museum exhibits in Belgium have been banned.

Toerisme Vlaanderen released a satirical video at the weekend, which shows men in "FBI, Social Media Inspector" jackets asking visitors at Rubens House in Antwerp to shield their eyes and move away from paintings depicting nudity.

The men ask if visitors have social media accounts and tell them that, if so, they "must be protected from nudity".

Toerisme Vlaanderen has embarked on a major campaign to promote the Flemish Masters highlighting the life and heritage of Rubens, Bruegel and Van Eyck among others.

It argues that artistic censorship on the social media platform makes discovering artists more difficult and does not allow for promotion of artwork.

In an open letter to Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, Toerisme Vlaanderen chief executive Peter De Wilde said: "Unfortunately, promoting our unique cultural heritage is not possible today on the most popular social network."

Written by Hannah Rodriguez