Facebook and Instagram Ban 'Sexual' Use of Eggplant and Peach Emojis

New community standards prohibit pairing the emojis with sexual language, leading to potential account suspensions.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 8:55pm

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Facebook and Instagram have updated their community standards to prohibit the 'sexual' use of the eggplant and peach emojis. According to the new policies, pairing these emojis with any expression of 'being horny' or requests for nude imagery, sex, or sexual partners can result in user accounts being flagged or removed from the platforms.

Why it matters

The new emoji restrictions are part of a broader effort by social media platforms to crack down on sexual content and solicitation. While the policies aim to maintain family-friendly environments, they have raised concerns about censorship and the platforms' ability to accurately interpret context around emoji usage.

The details

The updated community standards went into effect in September, several months after being quietly implemented in July. Instagram stated that content will only be removed if it contains a sexual emoji alongside an 'implicit or indirect ask' for nude photos, sex, or sexual conversation.

  • The new emoji policies were updated in July 2026.
  • The policies went into full effect in September 2026.

The players

Facebook

A social media platform that also owns Instagram.

Instagram

A photo and video sharing social media platform owned by Facebook.

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The takeaway

The new emoji restrictions highlight the ongoing challenges social media platforms face in moderating user content and balancing free expression with maintaining family-friendly environments. The policies have raised concerns about potential overreach and the platforms' ability to accurately interpret context around emoji usage.