Startup founder Tara Langdale-Schmidt claims that her company’s devices, called VuVa, aim to alleviate the pelvic and vaginal pain and discomfort experienced by her and countless other women. However, over the last ten years, Langdale-Schmidt alleges that Amazon has consistently removed VuVatech’s product listings—at times citing what she perceives as overly conservative “adult” content policies. Last year, Amazon prevented VuVatech from adding a discount coupon to one product, stating that its automated systems flagged the item as “potentially embarrassing or offensive,” as shown in a screenshot reviewed by WIRED.
“We need to end this silliness surrounding our discomfort with taboo topics,” Langdale-Schmidt says. “There’s no distinction between your vagina and your ear, your nose, or your mouth. It’s simply another part of your body, and I can’t fathom how we’ve reached a point where discussing it is seen as inappropriate. It makes no sense to me.”
Amazon spokesperson Juliana Karber informs WIRED that no VuVatech products have faced restrictions due to adult policy breaches over the previous year, but Langdale-Schmidt contends that this is because she has ceased attempting to list new items. Karber emphasizes that Amazon acknowledges the significance of sexual health and wellness products for its customers and has thousands of merchants offering them. A small percentage of those products categorized as “adult” are subject to stricter policies “to ensure we cater to the intended audience and avoid surprising those who do not want to see them,” Karber adds.
For years, companies and organizations in the sexual health and wellness sector have voiced their frustrations over what they interpret as excessive limitations on their content from shopping, advertising, and social media platforms. A new survey and accompanying report shared exclusively with WIRED by the Center for Intimacy Justice, an advocacy group for the industry, highlight the depth of these concerns.
In the survey, which was completed in March 2024, VuVatech and over 150 other businesses, nonprofit organizations, and content creators across six continents reported difficulties in sharing content about their work, promoting products, and utilizing services from Amazon, Meta, Google, and TikTok. The participants included organizations providing tools and support for pregnancy, menopause, and other health-related topics.
Jackie Rotman, founder and CEO of the Center for Intimacy Justice, asserts that rectifying what she labels biased censorship against women’s health would not only create significant commercial opportunities for tech platforms but also represent a moral obligation. “Automated systems, algorithms, and employees who lack knowledge of this subject should not limit women’s access to essential and beneficial health products,” she states.
Google, Meta, TikTok, and Amazon maintain their support for existing policies, some of which aim to shield minors from encountering potentially sensitive content. The companies also note that they provide mechanisms for users and advertisers to contest enforcement actions.
Some products mentioned in the Center for Intimacy Justice’s survey include unregulated items with limited or conflicting evidence regarding their effectiveness. Complaints about content moderation on tech platforms are not restricted to sexual health issues. However, Rotman, the leader of the industry group, states that the survey results illustrate the pervasive suppression of sexual health tools and information across the internet.
