Nipple tattooist 'frustrated' by online censorship

Share Save Add as preferred on Google Bea Swallow Bristol Lauren Carter Lauren Carter says social media platforms often mistake her medical tattoos for inappropriate content A medical tattoo artist has described the online censorship of nipple tattoos for mastectomy patients as "wholly unfair and discriminatory".

Lauren Carter, based in Hanham near Bristol, says social media bots and algorithms often mistakenly flag her hyper-realistic work as "inappropriate nudity".

Carter has been banned from posting numerous times, and her pictures have been permanently removed, which she says leaves her "struggling" to reach new clients.

A spokesperson for Facebook and Instagram owner Meta said it "continues to work on improving" how it identifies and protects medical and health-related content.

Because medical tattoos are designed to look as realistic as possible, social media bots and algorithms can sometimes confuse the inked 3D-effect for bare skin.