Dont Delete Art Joins NCAC Arts & Culture Advocacy

Today, the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) is excited to announce that Don't Delete Art (DDA) is now an official component of its Arts and Culture Advocacy work. This announcement follows NCAC's six years of active stewardship of Don't Delete Art as a collaborative initiative addressing issues impacting the dissemination of art online. In this new chapter, Don't Delete Art will expand upon the initiative's established work, while also responding to emergent policies and legal regulations in the United States. 

The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) convened Don't Delete Art in March 2020, to counter the censorship of art by social media platforms. The project was originally founded as a collaborative initiative, uniting human rights and artistic freedom groups, art collectors, and artists in support of defending artistic freedom online. A cohort of organizations and individual artists have contributed to, collectively curated, and maintained Don't Delete Art in its six year history, including: Article 19, ARC-Artists at Risk Connection, Freemuse, IBEX collectors, International Arts Rights Advisors, National Coalition Against Censorship, PEN America, and artists Emma Shapiro, Savannah Spirit, Spencer Tunick, and others.

Six years after DDA's founding, the need for artistic freedom protections online remains high. 

Across digital platforms—from website builders to payment processors to social media giants— content moderation policies, algorithmic enforcement, and ineffective appeals processes threaten the ability to share and access art online. 

Since its inception, Don't Delete Art has advocated for content moderation policies to include exceptions for artistic context and for a broader definition of art that would include lens-based mediums and performance documentation. Now, new legislation seeking to promote youth safety online through implementing age verification promises to further threaten the ability of artists to promote and share their work—particularly if it incorporates nudity, LGBTQ themes, political critique, or sexual themes. The impact of such legislation is widespread, as the algorithms engaged in content moderation are often broadly applied to minimize corporate legal exposure and reduce financial costs associated with finely-tuned content review. 

“The same types of art that are accessible to general audiences in museums should be able to circulate in online environments. Don't Delete Art has always advocated for a digital ecosystem that is welcoming of diverse artistic expression,†said Elizabeth Larison, Director of NCAC's Arts and Culture Advocacy and a member of Don't Delete Art since 2022. “Now, with social media companies coming under increasing legal scrutiny in the United States, more finely attuned advocacy is necessary and NCAC is excited to dedicate more of its resources to leading the way in support of artistic freedom online.â€Â 

To learn more, visit https://www.dontdelete.art/ and follow @dontdelete.art on Instagram and on Bluesky @dontdeleteart.bsky.social.