Walla Walla Sweet Onions, Walla Walla, Washington. In 2016, for example, Facebook banned a Norweigan journalist for posting the 1973 Pulitzer Prize-winning picture of a naked Kim Phúc fleeing napalm bombs. "So we just got notified by Facebook that the photo used for our Walla Walla onion seed is 'Overtly Sexual' and therefore cannot be advertised to be sold on their platform," the company wrote on Facebook alongside the image. They were really just onions). A photo on the packaging shows several whole onions piled in a wicker basket and a few sliced onions in the foreground. ', The phrase "food porn" took on new meaning on Facebook this week when the social network's algorithm accidentally flagged a photo featuring a pile of onions as "overtly sexual.". They’re not in the softcore onion business, they’re in the seeds-to-grow-onions-of-a-regular-amount-of-sexiness business. The phrase "food porn" took on new meaning on Facebook this week when the social network's algorithm accidentally flagged a photo featuring a pile of onions as "overtly sexual." These onions weren’t flagged as risqué. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time. PCMag Digital Group. The Seed Company by EW Gaze, in St John’s, Newfoundland, had needed to submit a seemingly harmless advert for Walla Walla onion seeds on Facebook. Accidental removals have happened over the years. 77 likes. The Gaze Seed … Keep an eye on your inbox! "We use automated technology to keep nudity off our apps, but sometimes it doesn't know a Walla Walla onion from a, well, you know," Facebook Canada's head of communications, Meg Sinclair, told BBC. A photo on the packaging shows several whole onions piled in a wicker basket and a few sliced onions … As CBC News reports, a Canadian seed company posted about the Walla Walla onion seeds it sells accompanied by a photo featuring a basket full of onions. In the eye-watering flub, Facebook blocked the Gaze Seed Company’s ad for $1.99 Walla Wallas, saying the onions were positioned in a “sexually suggestive manner” — … Facebook’s Issues With Flagging Content. A N.L. McLean says there was nothing sexual about the ad for Walla Walla sweet onion seeds. The company's rebranded its onion seeds as "sexy onions" and have sold "more in the last three days than in the last five years," McLean reports. https://www.pcmag.com/news/facebooks-ai-flags-onion-photo-as-overtly-sexual. New TikTok Setting Filters Out Flashing Images That Could Cause Seizures. It was based on a Canadian seed company's paid ad for a seed packet picturing a heap of the … Sign up for What's New Now to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every morning. Here's the question: Were the onions presented in a, um, NSFW manner or is Facebook's mind just in the gutter? And while some rules are more obvious than others (nudity, violence, and hate speech are all barred from the platform), one might think posting a pile of produce is safe. Facebook banned a photo of onions posted to the Facebook page of Canada-based seed company, Gaze Seed Company for being “overtly sexual”. However, the Seed company clarified in a post that their Walla Walla onions were, in fact, unpeeled, sweet flavoured, and had just about a few sliced wicker baskets, adding, it shall be no reason for Facebook to flag the ad as ‘nude content’. McLean said there was nothing sexual about the ad for the Walla Walla sweet onion seeds. Sherin Shibu is a junior at Columbia University majoring in English Literature. This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Walla walla onions are an heirloom variety from France. We bring the Valley to you. Everything You Need to Know About the Internet’s Obsession With Mario Kart. So, thanks, I guess? Will TikTok Ever Actually Be Banned in the US? ©2020 Group Nine Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. "We restored the ad and are sorry for the business's trouble.". WALLA WALLA — For a brief instant Facebook deemed an advertising image of Walla Walla Sweet Onions to be too sexy for it's content in late September and laid down a ban. 23K likes. But you'd be wrong, in certain instances that is. © 1996-2020 Ziff Davis, LLC. A theory that FB Canada's head of communications Meg Sinclair quickly confirmed. The phrase "food porn" took on new meaning on Facebook this week when the social network's algorithm accidentally flagged a photo featuring a pile of onions as "overtly sexual." Facebook bans Walla Walla sweet onions for being too sexy BERLIN, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 05: Organic onions lie on display among fruits … "So we just got notified by Facebook that the photo used for our Walla Walla Onion seed is 'Overtly Sexual'," Gaze's wrote on its official Facebook … See ubne.ws/33LZdLr. If the market is out of sweet onions, use a large yellow onion. Facebook's community standards have gotten stricter over the years. Yes, folks, you read that right. As CBC News reports , a Canadian seed company posted about the Walla Walla onion seeds it sells accompanied by a photo featuring a basket full of onions. ... McLean says there was nothing sexual about the ad for Walla Walla sweet onion seeds. But after one of the shop's 10,000 page members reported the snap as inappropriate to Facebook, the California tech titan swooped into action. Yellow onions have the best flavor for onion rings. The company used the image in a Facebook ad in order to sell Walla Walla sweet onion seeds on the platform when they were told that the image went against their advertising policies. ", Gaze Seed made light of the mix-up on its Facebook page, reposting the offending image with a laughing emoji and asking followers, "Can you see it?". Your subscription has been confirmed. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant. The Walla Walla onion ad has been restored by Facebook. A photo on the packaging shows several whole onions piled in a wicker basket and a few sliced onions in the foreground. Earlier this week, a Canadian store -- known around St. John's, Newfoundland as the Seed Company by EW Gaze -- shared a perfectly innocent promotional photo of some Walla Walla onions (this is not a euphemism. The Walla Walla onions, "an older onion variety," had recently brought back in stock by customer request, and are now selling fast due to their newfound notoriety, he said. Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email and subscribe here for our YouTube channel to get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun. Walla Walla Sweet Onion Peggers, Walla Walla, Washington. PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Well, after this incident, many users were reportedly doing exactly that by posting pictures of pumpkins, carrots and garlic. The Seed Company, based in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, posted an ad for Walla Walla onion seeds on Facebook last month but it was blocked due to being 'overtly sexual.' McLean said there was nothing sexual about the ad for the Walla Walla sweet onion seeds. She's written about everything from cybersecurity and virtual reality to business strategy and leadership; she's a versatile writer with a track record of success. This isn’t the first time the social media giant has come under fire for its guidelines for uploads on the site. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology. Facebook recently banned an ad from a Canadian seed company, claiming the onions in the picture are “overtly sexual.” Over the weekend, The Seed Company by E.W… Onion Seeds Walla Walla Sweet Onion 50 thru 1,000 seeds The Walla Wall Onion is the Washington State Vegetable it is a 90 day onion. Walla Walla Sweet Onions, Walla Walla, Washington. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. She took a nontraditional path to junior year, taking two gap years to work as a fellow at Business Insider and GovLoop, among others. At PCMag, she hopes to cover the news with accuracy and style, growing as a writer as she works as a News Fellow. Vegetable, Herb, Flower, Cover Crop, Microgreens seeds & more. How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad, How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill, How to Find Free Tools to Optimize Your Small Business, How to Get Started With Project Management, Facebook to Ban Political Ads After US Election, Facebook: QAnon Groups and Pages Are No Longer Allowed, Facebook Mistakenly Bans 'Fallout 76' Free States Militia Role-play Group, iOS Users Can Now Share Tweets Directly to Snapchat Stories, FTC, State Prosecutors Seek to Break Up Facebook for 'Anticompetitive Conduct', YouTube to Delete Videos That Allege Fraud, Errors Changed the Election. The seed company, St. John's-based Gaze Seed, was notified that "listings may not position products or services in a sexually suggestive manner. Pay Cribbage with a group of Cribbage lovers. seed company's ad for onions was flagged by Facebook for being "overtly sexual.". Annie Charnley Eveland can be reached at 509-526-8313 or. The CBC reported that Facebook pulled an ad from Gaze Seed Company's Walla Walla onion seeds due to its picture of onions in a wicker basket. Grow unique and delicious Walla Walla Sweet Onions … The offending ad — for Gaze Seed Company’s Walla Walla onion seeds — shows an image of a handful of onions in a wicker basket. Walla Walla Sweets are seasonal, so if you can’t find them in your market, other sweet onions like the Vidalia will work just fine. In a decision which is sure to raise a few eyebrows, Facebook has apparently banned an onion advertisement for being “overtly sexual”. “Can you see it?” A Canadian seed company that posted a photo featuring a pile of onions was notified by Facebook that 'listings may not position products or services in a sexually suggestive manner. The Seed Company by EW Gaze, in St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada recently started stocking seeds for Walla Walla onions, larger and sweeter than the average yellow onion. It's unclear what Facebook's AI thought it was looking at, but it was apparently scandalized and removed the image. Walla Walla onions do not store well for long periods of time. "We use automated technology to keep nudity off our apps, but sometimes it doesn't know a Walla Walla onion from a, well, you know,” Sinclair told the news outlet. However, shortly after the seemingly harmless article was published, which advertised the “Onion, Walla Walla Sweet” seeds for $ 1.99, the company received a notification from the social media giant stating that the photo of the vegetable was “Overtly sexual” and should be deleted. The ad flagged by Facebook showed Walla Walla onions, known for their size and sweet flavour, piled in a wicker basket with some sliced onion on the side. McLean says there must be something about the round shape of the vegetables that was misconstrued by Facebook’s screening algorithms. Facebook rejected a Canada-based Seed Company's photo of Walla Walla onions from the platform after deeming it "overtly sexualized." It seems the latter, with the Seed Company's store manager Jackson McLean telling BBC that it was "something about the round shapes" that alerted the social media site. PCMag, PCMag.com and PC Magazine are among the federally registered trademarks of Ziff Davis, LLC and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission. "There was something about the round … Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, Walla Walla, WA. There are common onions, after which there are onions too attractive for Facebook, a Canadian seed and backyard provide retailer lately found. 2.3K likes. 2.3K likes. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. While it might seem like one big inconvenience for the brand, the social media mix-up has been somewhat of a genius marketing ploy. 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