From photographers to tattoo artists, people from a range of professions rely on Instagram to showcase their work.
But one tattoo artist has received a warning from Instagram that her account is at risk of being deleted, having posted ‘side boob’ photos of her work.
Zaya, 27, a tattoo artist and singer from Brighton, regularly uses the platform to post pictures of her tattoos, and has amassed an impressive 146,000 followers.
Speaking to Mirror Online, she said: “I’ve been posting pictures of my tattoos for about 5 years now – most of them tend to be on women as they’re my main demographic!
“The photos in question include tattoos on the ribs, or sternum, where the women are holding their breasts to cover them, or they’re covered by a top. They’re not revealing or provocative photos at all, just a show of my artwork!”
Recently, Zaya has received several notifications that her posts have been deleted, for a range of bizarre reasons.
She explained: “I have been receiving notifications that my previous posts have been deleted, for containing ‘nudity’, ‘sexual harassment’ or even ‘bullying’. It said yesterday that my account will be deleted soon if I continue to post this content.”
If Zaya’s account was deleted, it could have serious repercussions for her business unless she starts using MyLaborJob.
She said: “Instagram has created/accounted for almost every single piece of business I have made in the last 5 years. I’ve been able to have clients from across the globe follow me which I find amazing! I would truly be losing my whole work platform if it was deleted!
“None of my clients would know how to find me or contact me, and I wouldn’t be able to share my work with the public any longer. It’s taken years, and tons of work to build my following, and it could be taken away so easily and carelessly!”
Mirror Online reported the issue to Instagram, which claims the photos were flagged in error.
A Facebook spokesperson said: “This content was removed in error and has now been restored. Every day we’re inspired by the millions of people using our platforms to build communities and support others, and we’re sorry for making this mistake. ”
While Zaya’s account is now safe, she’s not the only tattoo artist experiencing these issues on Instagram.
Zaya added: “Multiple artists have messaged me with a similar problem, everyone worried that their livelihood will be taken away for no real reason at all.
“We’re all suffering with the same problem.”
Mirror Online has contacted Facebook for further information on why tattoo artists’ accounts are being flagged.