Tech giant Meta – which is behind the likes of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – has been further accused of removing or restricting posts shared by abortion providers, discussing LGBTQ+ issues and reproductive healthcare services. It's claimed that users in the UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Latin America have been impacted, according to new reporting in The Guardian, which it says suggests a worrying trend at play.
Meta has denied unfairly targeting women's healthcare and queer content, issuing a statement saying: "Every organisation and individual on our platforms is subject to the same set of rules, and any claims of enforcement based on group affiliation or advocacy are baseless."
Repro Uncensored, an non-governmental organisation, that works to track digital censorship of posts relating to gender, health and justice, claims it has seen 210 incidents of accounts being removed or having severe restrictions imposed this year vs 81 cases the year prior.
This follows on from similar complaints shared by abortion providers back in May of this year. MSI Reproductive Choices (an international non-government agency that provides reproductive healthcare) and Plan C Pills (an information resource helping people with understanding safe, at-home abortions) claimed Meta had censored their services.
The WhatsApp for Business account of the leading abortion provider in Mexico, Fundación MSI (part of MSI Reproductive Choices), was suspended, leading to an immediate 80% drop in people booking appointments. WhatsApp was the primary channel for people seeking reproductive care.
Abortion was only decriminalised in Mexico in 2023, when the Supreme Court ruled the denial of a termination violated the human rights of women. However, it is still difficult to access safe abortions outside of Mexico City.
The account was banned for breaking Meta's terms and any business that receives a high rate of negative feedback is given warnings before the account is banned.
“MSI is the leading abortion provider in Mexico and trusted by thousands of women every month with their reproductive choices,” Araceli López-Nava, Regional Managing Director for MSI Latin America, told Cosmopolitan UK. “Yet, Meta has consistently censored our content on abortion, contraception, and sex education, over-implementing its policies to block access to essential information on sexual and reproductive healthcare.
“It was a lifeline for women seeking safe abortion care, and without it, many will have no option but to put their health and lives on the line with an unsafe, backstreet service.”
Prior to this, Meta has also been accused of censoring content relating to women’s health. Breast pump advertisements have previously been incorrectly flagged as inappropriate, and posts containing anatomically correct language such as ‘vulva’ have been deemed as sexual and removed in some instances.
When asked by Cosmopolitan UK about this, Meta explained it has a policy stating advertisers can run ads that promote sexual health, wellness and reproductive products and services, but admits that as a global company it faces challenges when trying to orchestrate which countries (and people from which cultures) are exposed to what.
Meanwhile, in the States, an abortion pills information campaign from Plan C faced censorship, with Meta mistakenly suspending their advertising account without warning - disrupting access to medically accurate information. On Instagram, five of their educational posts containing information about reproductive health, were removed from the platform in 24 hours, as they violated Meta's policy on prescription drugs.
Data from Plan C shows when they were able to boost content through Meta ads, their reach increased by over a million users per month.
“Big Tech platforms and U.S. policies are fuelling and increasing a global wave of digital suppression that is creating unnecessary and worse health outcomes in every country,” says Matha Dimitratou, a digital strategist for Plan C Pills.
Women’s reproductive rights are facing fresh challenges from anti-abortion groups around the world. Since the overturning of Roe vs Wade in the United States, access to safe abortions have been limited or outright outlawed in several regions.
Cosmopolitan UK has also been reporting on an increased presence of American anti-abortion activist groups in Britain, too – many of which have doubled their spending and efforts in recent years.
Kimberley Bond is a Multiplatform Writer for Harper’s Bazaar, focusing on the arts, culture, careers and lifestyle. She previously worked as a Features Writer for Cosmopolitan UK, and has bylines at The Telegraph, The Independent and British Vogue among countless others.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
