--- title: "Meta Now Banning Ads That Promote Feminism" description: "The parent company behind Facebook and Instagram is prohibiting ads promoting a theatrical adaptation of a Virginia Woolf novel." date: "2026-09-21" modified: "2026-09-21" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins.md" url: "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/meta-banning-ads-virginia-woolf-facebook-instagram-feminism" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Meta" --- # Meta Now Banning Ads That Promote Feminism ![A pixellated image of "Rosie the Riveter" as depicted by J. Howard Miller in the piece "We Can Do It!"]() *Futurism* For years, human rights monitors have been outraged at the [selective policing]() of content on Meta's social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. The company's latest enforcement action is hardly shocking at this point, but it provides a crystal clear example of the kinds of things Meta will — and won't — allow on its apps. In a bizarre case of digital censorship, Meta's content moderation system stepped in to stop a local theatre in Barcelona from promoting a stage adaptation on the grounds that it violated a rule on promoting "social topics," per [the *Guardian*](). The production in question is an adaptation of "A Room of One's Own," a book by the legendary English author and feminist Virginia Woolf. According to the Teatre Raval, planned promotional posts about the show were blocked on both Instagram and Facebook, likely by an automated content moderation system. After reaching out to Meta about why the promo campaign had been stomped out, the company replied that "any mention of civil rights, feminism or social reform are usually classified as 'social topics' by our automatic system," and therefore rejected. According to the *Guardian*, the company then cryptically recommended the Raval remove "key words" related to social activism, so the promo campaign can pass the automated censor — though the company failed to explain what, exactly, its content system objected to. "We don't know if the publicity has been rejected because of the name of Virginia Woolf or because of the word feminism, or both," Clara Sanchis, who stars in the one-woman show told the Spanish newspaper *La Vanguardia*, per the *Guardian*, which translated the comments. "In any case, it's a way of erasing from the map advances that have taken centuries to achieve," Sanchis continued. "We have given social media unlimited power and every day we can see how dangerous this is. It's bias and manipulation." The automated rejection and the ensuing apathy from Meta come after some galling incidents where Meta *refused* to take down content significantly more radical than a theatrical performance about a literary figure whose books are read by high schoolers. In August, *Futurism* reported that Meta was [refusing to take meaningful action]() against a far-right influencer campaign to drum up support for a "crusader march on Dearborn" Michigan, organized by self-described "anti-Arab" extremist Jake Lang. Though Lang's initial post wasn't "sponsored," meaning he didn't officially pay to promote his call-to-action as the Teatre Raval was trying to do, his post nonetheless garnered thousands of reactions, comments, and shares from his 274,000 followers. It also spawned a deluge of copycat posts extolling racism and Islamophobia, some of which contained [explicit calls for violence]() which Meta refused to take down. And earlier in September, Meta was found to be hosting a massive number of AI-generated videos depicting horrific acts of child abuse. Meta removed a tiny handful of videos after [*Futurism* approached the company]() for comment — but refused to act on others, leaving the vast majority of violent AI Reels untouched. In all, Meta has drawn a revolting line in the sand — with nominally progressive "social topics" on the verboten side, and base depictions of torture and calls for violence allowed sight unseen. **More on Meta:** *[Meta Caught Paying Nazis to Post on Facebook]()* ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()