Instagram refuses to remove ‘black art’ depicting severed heads of white people citing ‘differences of expression’

The image, produced by an artist working under the name ‘sugarygarbage’, was shared to a page called ‘supportblackart’ and shows two obese black women posing with the severed heads of a white woman and man.

Needless to say, the piece generated strong reactions online. “I would put this in the same category of art as using a public toilet and not flushing,”wrote one critic. 

Instagram’s stance on the piece also garnered a lot of negative feedback, with many arguing that, were the races reversed, the post would receive a vastly different response from those in charge at the social media company.

The platform is one of many in the online world engaging in a crackdown on certain types of content, often drawing accusations of bias or hypocrisy in the process. Instagram recently announced it would ban all QAnon accounts for alleged promotion of “real world harm.” 

The site was also accused of censoring independent media and helping in a wider effort to suppress stories regarding Hunter Biden and his ongoing slew of scandals involving his emails and alleged business dealings with foreign powers.

However, Instagram previously fell foul of Black Lives Matter after it accidentally blocked a plethora of posts relating to the movement because its algorithm mistook them for spam. The site quickly rectified the issue and issued an apology. “We want to be clear that using #blacklivesmatter​ is supported and celebrated on Instagram, and we are moving quickly to ensure voices using this hashtag are heard,” it said in a statement.

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