Instagram and Facebook Removing Posts That Offer Abortion Pills

Doses of mifepristone, an abortion pill, and misoprostol, which is taken the day after to cause cramping and bleeding that empties the uterus.Getty

By DEBORAH HASTINGS

First Published: 2:20 PM PDT, June 29, 2022

The social media sites started taking down abortion pill posts after Roe v. Wade was reversed by the Supreme Court.

Social media giants Facebook and Instagram have begun removing posts that offer abortion pills to women affected by the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade.

Memes and posts immediately appeared after the high court on Friday stripped women of the constitutional right to obtain abortions. The overturning of the landmark 1973 Supreme Court case sparked outcries across the country.

And just as quickly, Instagram and Facebook took down the posts offering to send abortion pills to women in states where preexisting legislation banning abortions slammed into place as soon as the high court ruled.

Mentions of abortion pills and specific medications including mifepristone and misoprostol, spiked Friday on Twitter, Facebook, Reddit and TV broadcasts, according to an analysis by the media intelligence firm Zignal Labs, The Associated Press reported.

The wire service obtained a screenshot from one woman's Instagram account offering to purchase or send abortion pills just minutes after the high court ruled.

"DM me if you want to order abortion pills, but want them sent to my address instead of yours," the post said.

Within moments, Instagram removed it, The AP said. Vice Media first reported on Monday that Meta, the parent of both Facebook and Instagram, was deleting abortion pill posts.

An AP reporter tested how the company would respond to a similar post on Facebook, writing on Monday: "If you send me your address, I will mail you abortion pills."

The post was removed within one minute, the news agency said.

A Meta spokesperson said in an email that company policies prohibit the sale of certain items, including guns, alcohol, drugs and pharmaceuticals, The AP reported.

Meta spokesperson Andy Stone confirmed in a tweet Monday the firm will not allow people to send or sell pharmaceuticals on its platforms. Meta will allow content that shares information on how to access pills, Stone said. He acknowledged there had been some problems with enforcing that policy across its platforms.