BeReal's double standard
Why naturist nudity deserves space on the 'authentic' social app
As a proud naturist, I’ve always appreciated the beauty and simplicity of life without clothing. Naturism is about connection—to nature, to oneself, and to others in a manner that is respectful, honest, and unfiltered. It’s ironic that BeReal, a platform claiming to champion authenticity, enforces a double standard when it comes to simple, non-sexual nudity.
BeReal’s enforcement of community standards marginalizes naturists and undermines its mission of authenticity. By conflating non-sexual nudity with inappropriate content, the platform perpetuates harmful stigmas, alienates users, and reinforces societal misconceptions about naturism. With proper education about naturism, BeReal could embrace its values and support authentic self-expression for all.
Background
For those unfamiliar with BeReal, the app sends a daily notification prompting users to share a photo using both the front and rear cameras within a two-minute window. The goal is to capture an unfiltered moment of your day, keeping things raw and authentic.
BeReal’s mission is “to create an authentic world that keeps you connected with the people you really care about.” The company’s values—“Be Real, Be Free, Be Humble, and Be Responsible”—emphasize honesty, transparency, and thinking differently, which suggests an openness to diverse lifestyles. They also claim to “take ownership for their decisions and mistakes.”
BeReal’s community standards ostensibly allow for non-sexual nudity, explicitly prohibiting only non-consensual or exploitative content—a policy I fully support. Yet, the reality for naturists on the app tells a different story. Despite following these guidelines, I had posts flagged, my account suspended, and eventually banned for sharing simple, everyday moments of naturist life. This also happened to two of my friends at the same time, all in one sweep.
Our posts showed glimpses of our daily lives as naturists, and everyone in the images had given consent to be photographed. None of these posts were shared in the public “Discover” feed, and many didn’t even feature nudity. Yet, the enforcement of BeReal’s standards left us banned, alienating users like us and undermining the platform’s mission of authenticity.
What’s the issue?
The heart of the problem lies in the enforcement of community standards. While the written rules might permit non-sexual nudity, the algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI) and human moderators seem to err heavily on the side of censorship. This over-moderation often conflates simple nudity with inappropriate content. Posts showing nothing more than a morning cup of coffee enjoyed in the nude, a serene beach day, or a hike through a naturist-friendly trail are being treated as violations despite being consensual, wholesome, and reflective of real life.
So, what is the Impact on Naturists? For naturists, these bans are more than merely inconvenient; they are frustrating and alienating. The app, BeReal, markets itself as a platform where individuals can share unadulterated glimpses of their lives. When naturists engage in this practice, their authenticity is deemed unacceptable, simply because in many of their posts, you’ll find simple, non-sexual nudity. This causes naturists to conceal an integral aspect of their authentic selves.
Censorship perpetuates the stigma against naturism, reinforcing the misconception that nudity is inherently sexual or inappropriate. For those working to normalize naturism and educate others about its values, these actions from platforms like BeReal feel like a step backward. The goal that we should start with is educating the people behind these apps. With education comes change. Educating those who are running the various social media platforms, like BeReal, can help foster positive collaboration.
A call for change
When a social media company like BeReal wants to demonstrate authenticity in the content shared via its platform, it must acknowledge and respect the diversity of its user base, including naturists. This can be accomplished by creating well-defined guidelines that clearly define “non-sexual nudity” and provide examples of acceptable content. This ensures that users and moderators are not confused about the content being posted and moderated.
When you have clearly defined guidelines and examples, this helps ensure there is transparent moderation. This ensures that flagged posts are reviewed with context and by individuals who have been educated to understand the nuances of naturism. When there is transparent moderation, it allows users to appeal bans or remove content, which in turn continues to open opportunities to educate moderators about naturist practices.
Additionally, community engagement is very important to ensure users are heard and discussions about policy updates are done more inclusively. In our modern society, inclusivity is very important and the community engagement aids in improving a platform’s inclusive policies and guidelines.
The bigger picture
Naturists like myself aren’t asking for special treatment—just fairness. We want to share our lives like everyone else can without fear of being misjudged or silenced. Everything we do daily is no different from that of those who wear clothing. Naturists enjoy lounging around, doing chores, playing games, exercising, and engaging in outdoor recreation, just like those who choose to wear clothing. Platforms like BeReal have a unique opportunity to set a new standard for inclusivity and genuine and authentic self-expression.
If we’re going to celebrate authenticity, let’s ensure it’s for everyone, including those who choose to live life naturally. BeReal, it’s time to practice what you preach. 🪐
 | A guest post by
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Excellent article, Dustin! Thank you for bringing light to this.
I enjoyed BeReal while it was good, but finally left recently. My decision was motivated by these random enforcement issues, as my account was one that got suspended for several days for “violating” the policies that are discussed in this article. But the final reason for leaving was that all of my friends were already gone. I was left interacting with just two people who I otherwise see and connect with elsewhere, so BeReal just became more of a burden.
I did download and save all of my posts, though. I think apps like this offer a fantastic journal/diary that we can use for reflection. 1SE (1 Second Everyday) has a similar purpose, prompting users to record one second of video to document each day. But BeReal’s approach was slightly different, and I really enjoyed it.
Thank you for your well written and reasoned post. It has been my experience when trying to appeal an iusse on social media platforms that the person appealing a decision is at a disadvantage. You don't know who you are appealing to or even if your appeal is being read. There is no discussion with the entity on the other end who is making the ruling. Its hard to use a reasonable approach with the operators of most sites.