In a popular Nov. 19 tweet, Twitter user @MsValerieAugust tweeted a screenshot of Facebook community standards — which are cited by Instagram’s community guidelines and prohibit “content that is implicitly or indirectly offering or asking for sexual solicitation.” 

Twitter user @tamed_demon was one of the users appalled by the screenshot, writing, “This is genuinely cruel. The war on sex work continues, and Instagram seems determined to isolate and cut off [sex workers] at a time when we are all at our most vulnerable.”

Speaking to Novara Media, sex worker Rebecca Crow said she’s planning to hold Instagram legally accountable: “Once again, Instagram has failed to uphold promises of community policy improvement made to communities who have consistently been oppressed by the algorithm. 

“These new guideline changes are another knife in our tired backs and, for many sex workers who are already fighting for survival after being denied COVID-19 aid from their governments, this has already greatly harmed our most vulnerable workers.”