"Meta has removed or restricted dozens of accounts belonging to abortion access providers, queer groups and reproductive health organisations in the past weeks in what campaigners call one of the biggest waves of censorship on its platforms in years. The takedowns and restrictions began in October and targeted the Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp accounts of more than 50 organisations worldwide, some serving tens of thousands of people in what appears to be a growing push by Meta to limit reproductive health and queer content."
"Repro Uncensored, an NGO tracking digital censorship against movements focused on gender, health and justice, said that it had tracked 210 incidents of account removals and severe restrictions affecting these groups this year, compared with 81 last year. Meta denied an escalating trend of censorship. 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."
"Campaigners say the actions indicate that Meta is taking its Trump-era approach to women's health and LGBTQ+ issues global. Earlier this year, it appeared to shadow-ban or remove the accounts of organisations on Instagram or Facebook helping Americans to find abortion pills. Shadow-banning is when a social media platform severely restricts the visibility of a user's content without telling the user."
Meta removed or restricted dozens of accounts belonging to abortion access providers, queer groups and reproductive health organisations beginning in October. The actions affected Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp accounts of more than 50 organisations worldwide, including groups in Europe, the UK, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Repro Uncensored recorded 210 incidents of removals and severe restrictions this year, up from 81 last year. Meta denied an escalating censorship trend and said policies on abortion-related content had not changed. The enforcement included bans of queer and sex-positive accounts, blocking of abortion hotlines in legal jurisdictions, shadow-banning and removal of non-explicit cartoon nudity.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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