Stop Censoring Abortions
With the topic of abortions and other reproductive care becoming more and more scrutinized, it is crucial that information remains available and accurate - within online forums especially. However, the political climate that allows this scrutiny to thrive is also the very thing that is censoring and suppressing the life saving information made readily available.
What’s Happening?
Just within this year Instagram and Facebook have removed, suspended, or hidden posts and accounts from many healthcare companies, all of which happen to provide abortion pills. Some of the companies targeted include; Aid Access, Hey Jane, Women Help Women, and Just the Pill, reported the New York Times. Meta, the company that owns Instagram and Facebook among other apps, has admitted that it was over enforcing their rules and regulations and has since reuploaded posts and reinstated accounts. Their original claim was that these companies violated the ban of selling prescription drugs on social media platforms. All of this happened after Mark Zuckerberg, owner of Meta, removed it’s fact checking, claimed to be “restoring free expression on our platforms,” and decreased its hate-speech moderation policy. All of this was done to better align with President Donald Trump’s and his supporters ideologies.
Really this is all digital suppression Digital suppression is the act of content removal and reducing research available. This is done when the content isn't actually violating any policies.
Why Is This Concerning?
When these posts are blurred or completely removed it limits the information people are given. Stippling the amount of knowledge people have on their rights and healthcare options. It also brings up the concern of the right to free expression and speech being censored and limited. Social media is a largely and commonly used source for women and LGBTQIA+ and the censoring further ostracizes the information available to them.
What’s Being Done To Combat This?
Repro Uncensored is a coalition working to eradicate the “digital censorship and suppression that reproductive health organizations have weathered over the years is systemic, unpredictable, and an overt threat to global sexual and reproductive healthcare that relies on the internet and digital technologies to deliver services and disseminate information.” They even have resources available for people to self report if they have witnessed any reproductive rights content being removed and they will further investigate it.
Many of these health care companies and influencers have stopped the spelling of abortions and have switched to using alternatives such as @bortion” or “ab0rti0n.” These alternatives help avoid being flagged and removed, and ensure the information stays available for users.
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