PARIS (AP) — A French teacher is suing Facebook for alleged censorship because his account got suspended in 2011 after he posted a photo of a famous 19th-century nude painting.
FILE – In this Feb.12 2016 file photo,visitors watch Gustave Courbet’s 1866 “The Origin of the World,” at Musee d’Orsay museum, in Paris. A French teacher, whose Facebook account was suspended in 2011 after he posted a photo of a famous 19th-century nude painting, is suing Thursday Feb. 1, 2018 the California-based social network Facebook for alleged “censorship”. Frederic Durand-Baissas, a 59-year-old Parisian teacher and art lover, posted a photo of “The Origin of the World,” which depicts female genitalia. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)
After years of legal battle by Facebook to escape a trial in France, a Paris civil court is set to hear the case Thursday.
The account was suspended hours after Frederic Durand-Baissas, a 59-year-old Parisian teacher and art lover, posted a photo of Gustave Courbet’s 1866 painting “The Origin of the World,” which depicts female genitalia.
Durand-Baissas wants his account reactivated and is asking for 20,000 euros ($23,500) in damages. He also wants Facebook to explain why his account was closed.
Facebook has since changed its standards policy to now allow photographs of nude figures in art.
© Copyright 2018 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
