Meta blocks Barcelona theatre ads for Virginia Woolf play

techSep 22, 202625392

Teatre Raval in Barcelona said Facebook and Instagram blocked its paid ads for a one-woman stage adaptation of Virginia Woolf's A Room of One’s Own because Meta’s automated system classified mentions of “civil rights, feminism or social reform” as ‘social topics’. The production stars Clara Sanchis and adapts Woolf’s 1928 Newnham and Girton lectures, published as an essay in 1929 about women’s access to education and the material conditions for writing. Meta told the theatre the filter is automatic and suggested removing key words so the copy would not appear to “encourage activism.” Teatre Raval, which seats 193, published a statement calling the rejection an injustice and a violation of its rights, and said it needs social media to publicise cultural activities. Sanchis told La Vanguardia the theatre does not know whether the ban was triggered by the name Virginia Woolf, the word feminism, or both, and described the decision as erasing long-standing advances for women. The Guardian report notes that women were first admitted to study at Cambridge in 1869 but were not allowed to graduate with degrees until 1948, underscoring the historical context of Woolf’s essay.

jon christian

@jonchristian.net

it melts my brain that Meta is blocking ads that even engage with feminism while allowing AI slop of children getting horribly beaten futurism.com/artificial-i...

6417d ago

Haunted Cherub3

Between this and the AI CP on X, I sometimes can’t help but feel like the end goal is not disimilar to the caged monkeys watching violent content on TV at the beginning of 28 Days Later

My Name Is Aram2

for everyone keeping score, you can promote genocide on facebook but mark zuckerberg draws the line at feminism

Fabio Chiusi

@fabiochiusi.bsky.social

““any mention of civil rights, feminism or social reform [topics that are central to Woolf’s work] are usually classified as ‘social topics’ by our automatic system” and are filtered out.” www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

5218d ago

Quoting this

Philip O'Connor112

And the Irish government does their bidding unquestioningly ...

Jacob Christensen5

Måske Christiansborgpolitikerne lige skulle tænke på at Facebook (og Silicon Valley-milliardærerne i det hele taget) også kunne være et problem for voksne

Natasha Gerson4

They're afraid of Virginia Woolf.

Nonofyur Darnbusiness

@ladyasrai.bsky.social

Of couuuuuuuuuuurse the dude who created a website for ranking the hotness of women has banned mentions of feminism 😒🤬

3617d ago

Scott Horton

@robertscotthorton.bsky.social

"We reject your ad": A theater in Barcelona wanted to advertise a Virginia Woolf adaptation on Facebook and Instagram. Meta's system deemed it impermissible—but did provide tips on how to circumvent the rules. The Facebook rules are increasingly both irrational and impossible to

3718d ago

Scott Horton25

understand. But the golden rule is that revealing unpleasant facts about Zuckerberg and his family is absolutely forbidden.

Roberta Mock

@robertamock.bsky.social

Facebook & Instagram have banned ads for a Virginia Woolf play in Spain because they mention "social topics" like civil rights and feminism. 😠

3117d ago

Caridad Svich5

And I still don't understand theatre ppl that believe IG is innocent platform

Teaching in liminal space1

Obviously, no one should be on X. But I feel the same about Meta/Instagram. I'd add Twitch/Audible/Kindle, but those sites/apps still allow the discussion of "social topics" so I'm less ready to bolt, but I stopped subscribing to Audible and Twitch, so there's that.

Quoting this

joe57

chat, we did it, we finally found who's afraid of Virginia Woolf

Johnny Normality4

You used to have to sit through three hours of an Edward Albee play to find this out!

Sam Jordison

@samjordison.bsky.social

A few quick thoughts on why Meta is afraid of Virginia Woolf: samj.substack.com/p/no-room-fo...

2117d ago

Pascal Jacquemain

@jacquep.bsky.social

Meta bans ads for Virginia Woolf play in Spain because they relate to feminism | Meta | The Guardian share.google/Q1Sd67WjvJfx...

1318d ago

Quoting this

David Monniaux27

Depuis des décennies, des organismes publics, des associations, organisent leur communication via un réseau social contrôlé par un milliardaire (qui maintenant courtise le pouvoir trumpien) et qui (très largement) impose aux lecteurs de s'inscrire. Un site Web mode 1995 n'aurait pas ce problème

Miss Foxy Shelby2

Les annonces d’une pièce sur Virginia Woolf censurées par Meta. La bêtise de l’algorithme (qui va toujours dans le sens réac)

Toil And Trouble Media

@toilandtroublemedia.com

So voyerism, misinfirmation, hate speech and homophobic slurs are okay with Zuckerberg. Feminism is where he draws the line. TnT www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

917d ago

Frances Larina

@franceslarina.bsky.social

Meta’s system classified Woolf’s feminist themes as political content and thus banned them because of course it did. www.mediaweek.com.au/meta-bans-vi...

1718d ago

Mike Bailey

@linusd.bsky.social

If you don’t want your ads or posts blocked by Meta avoid words that suggest social reform. Words like feminism, social justice, civil rights or Virginia Wolfe. Meta operates a level of male domination unimagined by Kafka or even Orwell. How can we dismantle this? www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

1218d ago

Auckland Women's Centre

@akwomenscentre.bsky.social

We need robust online regulation to ensure platforms aren't censoring people for supporting *checks notes* human rights for women www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

1318d ago

Alan Stedman

@alanjstedman.bsky.social

Hey Facebook, Meta, Mark, have you heard of free speech? This is just you male jerks getting your kicks by putting women 'in their place' Grow up, it's puerile www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

1518d ago

Chrys Thalassa

@chrysthalassa.bsky.social

Another good reason to quit Facebook and all Meta products. Meta Now Banning Ads That Promote Feminism. futurism.com/artificial-i...

1018d ago

Jane Howard

@janeannehoward.bsky.social

Maybe putting all your theatre marketing eggs in the one social media promotion basket is a bad idea www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

618d ago

Antonio Vieira Santos

@antonio.wsocial.eu

Meta blocked an ad in Spain promoting a theatre production about Virginia Woolf, classifying it as relating to “social issues.” When algorithms can mistake literature and feminist ideas for something that shouldn’t be advertised, we need to ask: who gets to decide what ideas are acceptable?

1218d ago

_oldmanSwede2

Absolutely outrages but not at all surprising. Usa's extend a hands. Banning a English writer in Europe. We need our own EU platforms.

Mike Covill 🇨🇦1

Meta needs to be blocked for promoting stupidity and promoting the dumbing down of society.

1 source

theguardian.comMeta bans ads for Virginia Woolf play in Spain because they relate to feminism

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Meta blocks Barcelona theatre ads for Virginia Woolf play

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