A recent report accuses Meta and Google of obstructing information about abortion and reproductive health in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
MSI Reproductive Choices and the Center to Combat Digital Hate claim that while these platforms restrict advertising for local abortion providers, they don’t limit public access to reproductive health care, leading to the spread of damaging misinformation.
Mehta has agreed to review the findings of the report.
MSI, operating in 37 countries, has had ads containing sexual health information rejected or removed by the platforms.
MSI Ghana and Vietnam reported that their ads promoting reproductive health content were removed or flagged as violating community guidelines.
Whitney Chinogwenya, Global Marketing Manager at MSI, expressed concerns about the censorship of reproductive health content on social media platforms like Facebook, which many women rely on for information.
MSI Mexico faced removal of a Facebook post promoting legal abortion services despite the recent decriminalization of abortion in some states.
The report highlighted Meta’s inaction against anti-abortion misinformation and misleading content about abortion procedures.
The report also revealed fake MSI pages on Facebook that exploit the organization’s reputation for various malicious purposes.
MSI clinics in Ghana were targeted by disinformation campaigns on messaging platforms.
MSI Ghana Advocacy stresses the importance of fact-checking systems on digital platforms to promote accurate reproductive health information.
The report, compiled from interviews and evidence from MSI teams in several countries, aims to raise awareness among digital platforms about their responsibilities.
Meta and Google responded to the report’s allegations, with Meta emphasizing its policies against false information and Google denying any inconsistent enforcement on its platforms.
Both companies stated their commitment to ensuring accurate and compliant advertising on their platforms.
Source: www.theguardian.com
