Frenchman challenges Facebook after account cut over nude painting

Apr 13, 2011, 10:01 GMT

Paris - A Frenchman is demanding compensation from social networking giant Facebook for having deactivated his account because he posted a famous painting of a woman's vagina on his profile, French media reported Wednesday.

The reports said a lawyer acting on behalf of the father of three sent Facebook France a formal demand Tuesday to reactivate his account within two weeks and to 'compensate him in an substantial manner' for barring his access to his account.

According to the lawyer, his client's Facebook access was severed on February 27, after he posted the painting by 19th century French artist Gustave Courbet on his profile.

The original artwork, entitled The Origin of the World, hangs in the Orsay Museum in Paris.

The man's lawyer said he had been harmed by Facebook because his account was suspended on the eve of his birthday, when other Facebook users often post greetings, and because his emails to the company request to be reconnected had gone unanswered.

The case is second known incidence of Facebook censorship involving Courbet's painting.

In February, a Danish artist saw his Facebook page deactivated after making the painting his profile picture.

Facebook at the time explained in decision in terms of its user conditions, which stipulate that users 'will not post content that: is hateful, threatening, or pornographic; incites violence; or contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence.'

Frode Steinicke's account has since been reactivated, with an image of a clothed model as his profile image.

But several other accounts still feature the Courbet painting.

Meanwhile, critics of Facebook censorship have begun to mobilize - on Facebook.

A French page condemning censorship of the painting 'and of art in general' has been endorsed ('liked' in Facebook terms) by over 350 users.

Read more about Facebook

Read more about France

Read more about World Internet