
A fishmonger has reacted with fury after Instagram blurred his posts displaying dead fish, labelling the posts ‘offensive material’.
Rex Goldsmith, who owns The Chelsea Fishmonger in London, was surprised when Instagram flagged his photos and videos of raw fish corpses for the second time in two weeks.
He speculated that a ‘vegan warrior’ might have reported him and be to blame for the censored posts.
Instagram blocked his posts, warning: “This contains sensitive content that many may find offensive or disturbing.”
“It’s ridiculous. I don’t know whether the post was reported by vegans or whether Instagram censored it as they thought it would be offensive to vegans,” Goldsmith reacted.
“If they’re going to pick on me, why don’t they pick on one of the big companies who use the methods of farming that are bad for the environment and fish welfare?”
The Vegan Society pointed out that it was unlikely to have been reported by vegans, as someone who cut animal products out of their diet would have no reason to follow a fishmonger.
Vegans have also reacted by pointing out that it shouldn’t be surprising that images of a dead animal could be considered ‘disturbing’.
But Goldsmith disagreed with the label. Speaking to the BBC, he said: “I totally understand censorship – but when you think that Instagram is owned by Facebook, and if you look at some of the videos on Facebook, they are disgusting – some are violent, some have foul language – I find it a bit bizarre that they can then think a bit of cod fillet is offensive.”
He explained that he knew some butchers who had their posts censored but was astonished with Instagram’s hardline attitude towards his photos.
“Instagram is a shop window for us business people who put stuff on it,” he continued.
“I can put a video or photo up of a particular fish, and I’ll often get direct messages or phone calls saying ‘save one for me’ – it’s a good connector.
“I have nothing against people who choose not to eat meat or fish, but it’s my little business and I am precious about it.”
After Goldsmith complained to Instagram, the company said the material was flagged by mistake. Parent company Facebook said in a statement: “This content was marked as sensitive in error and has now been reinstated. We apologize for the mistake.”
Should a dead fish be considered ‘offensive or disturbing’ imagery? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Lifestyle
Vegan culture, food, beauty & more
Is Tobey Maguire vegan? Here’s what we know
- Mohsina Dodhiya
- 17th August 2023
Tobey Maguire often speaks about veganism and animal issues. Tobey Maguire, the actor best known for playing Spider-Man in the Sam Raimi trilogy, is a vegan. He has been a vegetarian since 1992 and became a vegan in 2009. A lifelong commitment to animal rights Maguire’s decision to go vegan was motivated by his love …
Continue reading “Is Tobey Maguire vegan? Here’s what we know”
Plant-based food jobs surge with 32% growth in just 3 months
- Mohsina Dodhiya
- 17th August 2023
The number of open jobs advertised in the plant-based industry increased by almost a third from April to July 2023, GlobalData reported. The plant-based food industry is booming, and this is reflected in the number of job openings in the sector. According to data from GlobalData, the number of open jobs advertised in the plant-based …
Continue reading “Plant-based food jobs surge with 32% growth in just 3 months”
VEGAN MEMES
NEED A LAUGH?
QUIZZES
All the quizzes you love to binge!
QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert
- Marlon Farrugia
- 10th January 2020
How much vegan knowledge do you have stored away? Do you have to Google your way through a shopping trip, or do you have all the bad E-numbers memorised? Find out now with this quiz. Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a dedicated vegan for many years, and …
Continue reading “QUIZ: If you score 11/12 on this quiz, you’re a verified vegan food expert”
QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 13th October 2019
Spook Season approaches. There will be ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and glucose. You need a costume, and you want to it to show off your personality, which means VEGAN. But what to choose? Take our quiz to find out your perfect outfit. Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a …
Continue reading “QUIZ: What is your perfect Vegan Halloween Costume?”
QUIZ: What kind of vegetable are you?
- Marlon Farrugia
- 26th September 2019
“If you were a vegetable, what kind would you be?” A question that has tormented humanity throughout the ages – until now. Read: QUIZ: If you score 19/20 on THIS quiz, you’re a Vegan God Marlon Farrugia Marlon Farrugia is a freelance writer from Brighton. He has been a dedicated vegan for many years, and …