Why Facebook and Instagram banned the sexual use of emojis

Just so you know, Facebook and Instagram have new community standards which ban the sexual use of certain emojis.

This includes the eggplant, peach and water droplets emoji.

In an episode of Stand for Truth, reporter Izzy Lee digs deeper into the certain "sexually suggestive" elements that can no longer be used on FB and IG as the companies attempt to prevent social solicitation.

Though the platforms did not release a comprehensive list of emojis that can be used "sexually," it's not a secret that the eggplant emoji is used to depict male genitalia while the water droplets emoji is sometimes used to imply ejaculation.

There are also statistics suggesting that the peach emoji has been used to refer to a butt at least 33% of the time.

According to Lee, Facebook and Instagram would have the right to remove the post of anyone who violates the new policy.

The platform can even deactivate your account altogether in light of repeated violations.

While the ban is considered a move to avoid implicit or indirect sexual solicitation, some experts would emphasize that human beings are  creative and are therefore capable of finding more and more ways to express themselves.

As sociolinguist Shedar Jocson put it, "Kasi hindi naman mawawala 'yan ng pag-ba-ban lang eh. It will manifest din into another form, pwedeng hindi na eggplant, pwedeng ampalaya."

—Margaret Claire Layug/JCB, GMA News