EFF and Repro Uncensored Launch #StopCensoringAbortion Campaign

SAN FRANCISCO—The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the Repro Uncensored coalition on Wednesday launched the #StopCensoringAbortion campaign to ensure that people who need reproductive health and abortion information can find and share it. 

Censorship of this information by social media companies appears to be increasing, so the campaign will collect information to track such incidents.  

“This censorship is alarming, and we’re seeing it take place across popular social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, where abortion-related content is often flagged or removed under vague ‘community guideline’ violations, despite the content being legal and factual,” said EFF Legislative Activist Rindala Alajaji. “This lack of transparency leaves organizations, influencers, and individuals in the dark, fueling a wider culture of online censorship that jeopardizes public access to vital healthcare information.” 

Initially, the campaign is collecting stories from people and organizations who have faced censorship on these platforms. This will help the public and the companies understand how often this is happening, who is affected, and with what consequences. EFF will use that information to demand that censorship stop and that the companies create greater transparency in their practices, which are often obscure and difficult to track. Tech companies must not silence critical conversations about reproductive rights.  

“We are not simply raising awareness—we are taking action to hold tech companies accountable for their role in censoring free speech around reproductive health. The stories we collect will be instrumental in presenting to the platforms the breadth of this problem, drawing a picture of its impact, and demanding more transparent policies,” Alajaji said. “If you or someone you know has had abortion-related content taken down or shadowbanned by a social media platform, your voice is crucial in this fight. By sharing your experience, you’ll be contributing to a larger movement to end censorship and demand that social media platforms stop restricting access to critical reproductive health information.” 

In addition to a portal for reporting incidents of online abortion censorship, the campaign’s landing page provides links to reporting and research on this censorship. Additionally, the page includes digital privacy and security guides for abortion activists, medical personnel, and patients. 

With reproductive rights under fire across the U.S. and around the world, access to accurate abortion information has never been more critical. Reproductive health and rights organizations have turned to online platforms to share essential, sometimes life-saving guidance and resources. Whether they provide the latest updates on abortion laws, where to find clinics, or education about abortion medication, online spaces have become a lifeline particularly for those in regions where reproductive freedoms are under siege.  

But a troubling trend is making it harder for people to access vital abortion information: Social media platforms are censoring or removing abortion-related content, often without a clear justification or policy basis. A recent example surfaced last month when Instagram posts by Aid Access, an online abortion services provider, were either blurred out or prevented from loading entirely. This sparked concerns in the press about how recent content moderation policy changes by Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, would affect availability of reproductive health information. 

For the campaign landing page: https://www.eff.org/pages/stop-censoring-abortion