Maisie Williams aka Arya Stark Shares NSFW Skinny-Dipping Video and Pic From Italian Getaway: Why Instagram’s Anti-Nudity Guidelines Let the Viral Post Stay

Mumbai, December 16: Actress Maisie Williams, best known for her role as Arya Stark on HBO's Game of Thrones, has recently drawn widespread attention online after sharing a candid and personal glimpse from a holiday on her Instagram account. Williams' post, which included a clip of her diving nude into the Mediterranean Sea and additional shots of her group with their backs exposed, has sparked questions about how Instagram permitted the 28-year-old actress to share such content, given the platform's strict anti-nudity policy.

The video shows Williams diving nude in the Mediterranean Sea, in what appeared to be a skinny-dipping session, a common pastime in certain private European retreats. She drives into the water and comes to the surface, flashing a smile at the camera. She also shared a photo of herself and her friends in the water with their bums in the air. "summer is so over but life is still happening in a big way x (sic)," she captioned the Insta post.

The photo dump from Williams' trip to Sardinia, Italy, shared on December 14, 2025, remains visible on Instagram, suggesting it successfully navigates the complex rules prohibiting sexual nudity. Game of Thrones' Maisie Williams and Boyfriend Reuben Selby Call It Quits After 5 Years of Dating (View Post).

Maisie Williams aka Arya Stark Shares NSFW Video and Pic on Instagram

Navigating Instagram's Nudity Rules

Instagram's Community Guidelines strictly prohibit sexual nudity, specifically banning content that shows sexual intercourse, genitals, and close-ups of fully-nude buttocks. However, the policy allows for specific exceptions:

• Non-Sexual Context: Nudity in an artistic or creative context is often permitted.

• Artistic/Natural Depiction: The platform explicitly allows nudity in photos of paintings and sculptures, as well as images of post-mastectomy scarring and women actively breastfeeding.

Given the nature of Williams' post - a casual photo dump documenting a vacation with friends - it appears to fall under content that, while revealing, is generally not flagged as sexual or pornographic in nature. The quick motion in the video and the angle of the still photos, which reportedly focus on the backs of the subjects, likely prevent the post from violating the explicit ban on showing genitals or close-ups of nude buttocks. Poonam Pandey’s Nipple Show in X-Rated Video Escapes the Instagram Axe Despite App’s Strict Anti-Nudity Policy.

It is possible that the specific images were set with a privacy feature on Instagram, restricting viewing to users over the age of 18, which is a method some creators use for content that is considered sensitive but not strictly in violation of the guidelines.

Scrutiny and Enforcement Challenges

The visibility of Williams' post highlights Instagram's ongoing challenge in consistently enforcing its nudity policy. The platform has faced repeated criticism for applying its rules unevenly, especially concerning the depiction of non-white and plus-size bodies. A notable policy change occurred in late 2020 after a campaign led by plus-size Black model Nyome Nicholas-Williams challenged the removal of her images, which Instagram had initially flagged under a since-adjusted rule on "breast squeezing."

The Maisie Williams content serves as a high-profile, recent example of how posts containing non-sexual, full-body nudity, particularly when taken from a distance or in an artistic/natural context, can generally remain on the platform.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 16, 2025 06:20 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).