Facebook and Instagram have seen multiple cases of abortion ads being removed and accounts being frozen, significantly reducing the chances of recovery without connections
Facebook and Instagram, both operated by Meta, have long been known to take a strict stance against posts about abortion. The Electronic Frontier Foundation's investigation found that if you don't have some sort of connection to Meta, your chances of getting your suspended account reinstated are significantly reduced.
When Knowing Someone at Meta Is the Only Way to Break Out of “Content Jail” | Electronic Frontier Foundation
In the United States, the 1973 ruling in the case of Roe v. Wade had long held that restrictions on abortion were unconstitutional.
However, in 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe, and half of states began considering restricting abortion. Meta has also begun cracking down on abortion on Facebook and Instagram, deleting posts expressing support for abortion, such as purchasing abortion pills on behalf of others.
Facebook and Instagram are deleting posts that support abortion - GIGAZINE
Red River Women's Clinic, a clinic in Moorhead, Minnesota, noticed that accurate information about their clinic was not being disseminated, so they posted an advertisement on Facebook stating that they offer both surgical and medication abortions, along with an image of a box containing the oral abortion pill mifepristone.
However, the ad was flagged and the account was suspended. After a complaint from the clinic, the flag was removed and the account was reinstated, but it was soon suspended again, and this time the complaint was no longer responded to.
The clinic contacted a digital rights organization, and Meta staff stepped in, warning the clinic that while they had not violated its policies, future violations would result in the permanent deletion of their account.
In addition, the Emory University Reproductive Health Research Center (RISE) in Georgia launched an Instagram account in January 2025 to combat misinformation about 'sexuality and reproduction' and posted, 'Let's discuss the importance of mifepristone.' However, two months later, the account was suddenly suspended.
RISE tried repeatedly to get the account reinstated, but to no avail. It was only after contacting Meta directly that the account was reinstated. After the account was reinstated, they were able to see which posts had been flagged, and discovered that the post about mifepristone had been flagged by Meta.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation noted that Meta officials 'may mistakenly remove posts that do not violate policy,' but also asserted that they 'value freedom of speech.' The investigation found that 'in some cases where suspended accounts were reinstated through some form of contact with Meta, rather than through the standard contact form,' raising doubts about the company's enforcement of its policies.
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