PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA - FACEBOOK, the popular social-networking website, has banned its members from posting photos of mothers breast-feeding their children.

The ban has triggered off a huge protest, with a group formed against the ban boasting 70,000 members and counting.

A few photojournalists held placards and gathered to sing, chant and breast-feed in front of Facebook's downtown Palo Alto headquarters in a more low-key offline protest.

A 34-year-old woman said that she had set her profile picture to a small photo of herself breast-feeding her baby. Facebook deemed the image obscene and removed the photo without prior notice.

"Hey Facebook, breast-feeding is not obscene," read one placard in protest.

Facebook said the pictures violate the company's policy on obscene, pornographic or sexually-explicit material, because of the display of the aureola - the dark skin around the nipple. Reportedly, it had also threatened to terminate accounts of people who do not comply with such policy.

"We agree that breast-feeding is natural and beautiful, and we're very glad to know that it is so important to some mothers to share this experience with others on Facebook," said Facebook spokesman Barry Schnitt.

The company insists it is not about obscenity, but more about safety. The policies are to ensure the site remains safe, secure and trusted by its users, who also include teenagers.

Mr Schnitt said only photos which showed the aureola have been removed and others left intact. The matter was ignited when Facebook answered Ms Heather Farley's e-mail message, asking why the networking giant removed photos of her breast-feeding her baby in October.

Later, she put up another photo and received a letter threatening to delete her account.

It was then that she decided to go public.

"I felt bullied," said Ms Farley, who decided to protest while she was in California for the holidays visiting in-laws. Her challenge drew support from other Facebook critics and lactation advocates and has swollen into a huge protest now. - AGENCIES