Guelph-based mom and entrepreneur Kat Nantz has been banned from advertising her business on Facebook.
Nantz, a Sexual Wellness and Relationship Coach says that she’s been blocked from creating advertisements on Facebook for the last few years.
“Any sex educator, or anyone who uses the word sex, sexual, sexy will automatically get blocked and their page will be flagged so that they can’t advertise or promote their business through Facebook,” said Nantz.
Nantz believes that Facebook has created a double standard. Women who are breastfeeding have photos taken down; or a sex educator attempting to create a conversation around accepting and loving our bodies, and understanding consent can’t advertise; yet we see images of violence and sexualized images on Facebook often.
“Violence and gruesome imagery aren’t flagged, but I can’t post anything about sexuality or relationships,” shared Nantz.
In order for a small business to thrive it’s typically important to be engaged and active on social media, and Nantz feels that her business has been affected by her inability to advertise through the popular social media channel.
Nantz has said that she has reached out to Facebook but has not been able to connect with an actual person.
“I don’t want to remove the word sex out of my work because its not authentic or true to myself,” said Nantz, who hosts workshops on sexual wellness and relationships, as well as offers personal coaching.
Kat said that because Facebook is an algorithm she does believe that people can change the tide. People can report violent or sexualized images and make requests and open the conversation about censorship on Facebook.
“It does make me angry as a woman. It just feels like another one of those things that silences our ability to have more power as women in our lives. You can see things that are sexual everywhere, but you can’t promote healthy sexual relationships,” Nantz said.
Kat said that this issue of censorship plays into her own work as an advocate for consent. On Facebook videos of violent brutalization or cruelty towards animals will sometimes automatically play on Kat’s newsfeed, things that she does not consent to seeing. These types of images can be harmful and triggering, yet people are subjected to this imagery regularly through social media. However, even if someone wants to hear about sexual wellness on the social media channel, the opportunity just isn’t there.
For now, Kat relies on word of mouth and her friends group sharing her work and events, and hopes to see change through social media channels so that she can start paying Facebook to advertise her work.
To find out more about Kat Nantz and her business visit her website here or her Facebook page here.
