History of CostumesNo. 9775 · The 2026 edition
Pinterest is prohibiting culturally inappropriate Halloween costumes
Pinterest Takes a Stand Against Culturally Insensitive Costumes
Our own summary of the original — the full post and photos live at foxbusiness.com.
Pinterest is updating its platform to ban culturally inappropriate Halloween costumes, such as those labeled 'Day of the Dead,' 'gypsy,' or 'geisha.' When users search for these terms, they'll see reminders about cultural appropriation, along with educational resources to encourage respectful celebrations.
Directions
- Search Pinterest for a Halloween costume, then read the prominent educational Pin placed at the top of the results feed, which offers tips compiled from experts on celebrating the holiday thoughtfully and respectfully.
- Use the report option to flag culturally inappropriate costume content; note that Pinterest only removes such content if it violates existing policies on hateful activities, though it limits such ideas as proactive suggestions in channels like email and notifications.
Tips
- Pinterest puts a prominent educational Pin at the top of Halloween costume search results, offering tips on how to celebrate the holiday thoughtfully and respectfully.
- The advice is compiled from experts and Pinterest employee groups and aims to keep people from turning someone's identity into a stereotyped image.
Facts from the original
- Pinterest announced it would take additional steps to prohibit the advertising of culturally inappropriate costumes.
- The platform also made it easier for Pinners to report costumes and other content deemed insensitive.
- When users search for a Halloween costume, the top of the results feed shows an educational Pin about celebrating thoughtfully and respectfully.
- The tips page was compiled from experts and Pinterest employee groups and provides insight into steering away from turning a person's identity into a stereotyped image.
- Native author Adrienne Keene writes that despite decades of work by Native activists, Indigenous cultures and peoples are not costumes and that stereotypes represented through Halloween are harmful.
- Keene debunks the idea that wearing a stereotypical Indian costume honors Indigenous peoples, arguing a cheap knock-off costume does not honor them the way recognizing treaty rights and sovereignty and supporting Indigenous cultural revitalization would.
- Pinterest will flag search terms such as "Indian costume," along with other searches that may adopt cultural aspects for Halloween, including "Day of the Dead costume," "gypsy costume," and "geisha costume."
- Pinterest will not remove culturally inappropriate Halloween content unless it violates existing policies around hateful activities.
- Pinterest is limiting those types of ideas as proactive suggestions in channels such as email and notifications.
- A Pinterest spokesperson told FOX Business that millions of people come to Pinterest for Halloween inspiration each year and that the platform wants to make it easy to find ideas that are fun and culturally sensitive, along with expert information.
- The spokesperson said the steps were taken because Halloween is one of the most popular times of year on Pinterest and they want it to be an inspiring and positive place for everyone.
- Pinterest said it will continue working with experts and employee resource groups to identify what is considered culturally inappropriate and where to place the information.
