Global queer nightlife collectives accuse Meta of suspending accounts without cause: 'Digital censorship'
More than a dozen queer nightlife collectives around the world have accused Meta of suspending or deleting their Instagram accounts without cause, a pattern the groups say constitutes "digital censorship."
For the past 15 years, Gegen Berlin has operated as a party series and record label at the heart of the city's queer, sex-positive scene. Like many collectives, the team relies on Meta-run platforms like Instagram to promote events, communicate with followers and entice new partygoers. But that all changed in 2025, when Gegen said Meta deleted its account multiple times without cause, due to an accusation of "human exploitation" that Gegen argues was unfounded.
According to cofounder Mar/us, Gegen's profile was first removed without prior warning on August 17th, then again on October 7th. After the ban, he said accounts belonging to two other Gegen cofounders were also deleted by association. They received no prior notification, evidence or opportunity to appeal—a violation of both the EU's Digital Services Act and Meta's own contract terms. Resident Advisor has reached out to representatives for Meta for comment.
"Our content has never been flagged for explicit or sexual material," Mar/us told RA. " It celebrates queer culture, community and body positivity."
Gegen's struggles with Meta reflect a troubling pattern impacting queer collectives around the world. Parties and clubs in Finland, Chile, Thailand, France and more have reported "unjustified"—and sometimes, permanent—Instagram bans or suspensions by Meta.
These sanctions, they argue, constitute systemic digital censorship of queer voices and communities, at a time when they're more marginalised than ever. (Just this year, Meta revised its "Hateful Conduct" policy to permit discrimination over sexual orientation if it's "based on religious beliefs," a decision that was condemned by advocacy groups and tech experts alike.)
In September, Bangkok-based club and collective Horn's Instagram profile was suspended with "around 8,000 followers," according to founder Korn. Like Gegen, Horn received no prior warning. Although Korn said he was able to open a new account just a day later, it has only regained around 20 percent of its original followers.
"Our attendance and turnover at the club in the weeks following the suspension was immediately and notably impacted," Korn explained. He added that Horn's ad sales account had money in it when it was deleted—funds the party is now unable to retrieve.
Collectives in Amsterdam, Stockholm, Paris and beyond have also described similar issues. In August, Parisian collective Replicant Events received notice that all eight of its associated accounts had been permanently banned. Speaking to RA, founder Lenny Cartwright said he was only able to retrieve the accounts after hiring a lawyer and bringing the issue all the way to Paris's mayor Anne Hidalgo, who contacted Meta France for an explanation.
Across the Atlantic in Santiago, queer party Chachorros lost its account just before hitting 15,000 followers, which founder Camilo said constituted "a total loss of our workspace, as if our office burned down overnight." The suspension also affected Camilo's WhatsApp account, which contained key work contacts and booking conversations.
Despite the abruptness (and sometimes, finality) of the suspensions, most of the collectives who spoke with RA could not pinpoint a root cause behind the bans—other than the fact that they posted visibly queer, sex-positive content. According to Camilo, the inclusion of ticket prices in the captions of photos of performers—who are often dressed in fetish wear—may have triggered an AI algorithm to flag the posts for "human trafficking." But with no further communication from Meta, he had no way to plead the case.
The financial repercussions have been drastic. Chachorro's staff has dwindled from 30 to ten people, while ticket sales have shot down from around 800 per event to "barely 120."
"Before, we could invite international artists like U.R. Trax, Freddy K and KI/KI," Camilo added. "Today, that's simply not feasible." But as he explained, he's not just concerned for his own event's longevity, but for all the artists sharing their craft on Meta platforms.
"Instagram, as it currently operates, ends up limiting artistic expression and cultural evolution," he continued. "Many artists in the community can't publish their work without risking censorship."
We'll continue reporting on this story as it unfolds.
Photo: Aleksandr Popov
Hattie Lindert