Facebook Settles French ‘Censorship’ Case Over Vagina Painting

Facebook has agreed to settle a years-long authorized battle with a French trainer who sued after the social media large shuttered his account when he posted a famend 19th-century portray that includes a girl’s genitals, his lawyer stated Thursday.

The dispute dates to 2011, when the trainer, Frederic Durand, ran afoul of Facebook’s ban on nude pictures after posting a hyperlink that embrace a thumbnail picture of “L’Origine du Monde” (The Origin of the World), an 1866 oil portray by the realist painter Gustave Courbet.

The portray is considered one of many treasures that adorn the Musee d’Orsay in Paris and Durand argued that the US tech large was infringing on his freedom of expression.

He sought EUR 20,000 ($22,100) in damages and initially gained his case in a Paris court docket. The next court docket overturned the ruling in March 2018, although it scolded Facebook for not initially explaining why the account was closed.

Durand had been getting ready an attraction, however in a press release to AFP, his lawyer Stephane Cottineau stated a deal had been reached for Facebook to make an unspecified donation to a French avenue artwork affiliation known as Le MUR (The WALL).

“This donation ends the legal battle between Mr Durand and Facebook,” Cottineau stated, with out specifying why the road artwork affiliation had been chosen, or which facet had initiated the settlement talks.

Facebook declined to touch upon the settlement when contacted by AFP.

Already in 2015, it had introduced rule adjustments clarifying that posts depicting nudity in art work had been acceptable.

“L’Origine du Monde”, considered one of a number of feminine nudes accomplished by Courbet, shocked the stiff bourgeois society of his time.

It is believed to have been commissioned by a Turkish diplomat in Paris who was pressured to promote it after racking up big money owed due to his playing dependancy.

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