Internally at Meta (the company previously known as Facebook), employees aren’t allowed to discuss abortion at all. At the time of the Supreme Court’s decision to strip people of bodily autonomy, it was troubling. If this is how Facebook moderates internally, what does it say about how they’ll moderate outside of Facebook?
We didn’t have to wait long to find out.
Meta was removing posts as well as suspending or banning users who even posted about the abortion pill on Facebook or Instagram.
You know, Misoprostol, the abortion pill. The same abortion pill you can order by mail. That one.
If Leaf and Core goes off of Facebook for a few days, you’ll know why.
Abortion Pill Ban
Most U.S. states have not banned abortion, and even those that have may not have banned the abortion pill yet. The abortion pill, Misoprostol, is a simple, FDA-approved medication that ends a pregnancy. The abortion pill is legal, and you can get it through an online appointment and through the mail. Yes, legally.
Which is why it’s insane that Facebook would ban someone for writing, “abortion pills can be mailed.”
This came to the attention of Motherboard when someone reported that Facebook banned them for writing, “I will mail abortion pills to any one of you. Just message me.” That is potentially illegal, as sending prescription medications in the mail to someone they are not prescribed to is illegal. Of course, someone could have it prescribed to them and use an intermediary, but that legality is questionable and likely illegal as well. I’m not a lawyer, nothing I ever write is legal advice. Ever.
Despite the fact that you can legally obtain the abortion pill through the mail, the post was removed within a minute, and the user was automatically banned for it. This was the work of a bot, which set off alarms in the heads of pro-choice people.
What else sets off the bot?
That’s how journalists found that Facebook would ban people for simply mentioning the abortion pill and the mail in the same post. Facebook was banning legal healthcare information because the supreme court said bodily autonomy isn’t a federal right. It is still a right at the state level.
Facebook also banned people living outside of the United States, who obviously don’t have to follow American law.
Gizmodo and others confirmed their findings. Facebook admitted to it, saying they “encourage safety and compliance with common legal restrictions, we prohibit attempts by individuals, manufacturers and retailers to purchase, sell or trade non-medical drugs, pharmaceutical drugs and marijuana.” So journalists tested with those other supposed rule violations on burner accounts. Over at Engadget, they tested whether or not Facebook would ban people for saying they could sell and mail cigarettes, anti-depressants, and even the painkillers driving the opioid epidemic in America. None of that got the user banned. AP News even said they could mail guns, and Facebook didn’t ban them.
Instagram Ban
Meta’s other properties aren’t safe either. Instagram blocked any posts containing “abortion pills” or it’s actual names, “misoprostol” and “mifepristone.” Again, these drugs are legal, and getting them through the mail is legal. Instagram blocked them anyway. People wishing to spread information about safe, affordable, at-home healthcare, and Meta blocked them.
Meta/Facebook Moving Forward
Meta says their Facebook bans were a mistake and, “incorrect enforcement.” However, it seems they were more worried about which accounts were targeted, that is, less active accounts, than the rule itself. Facebook hasn’t said what was incorrect about their enforcement, or how the bot didn’t work. However, as the website allows users to post about actual illegal activities, but not that they can order abortion pills, it seems as though this “mistake” was more a problem of Meta/Facebook getting caught enforcing rules against those seeking abortions more than those seeking illegal drugs and guns.
Meta hasn’t announced changes to their policy or enforcement. While Meta’s employees at their companies, like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, may not be able to discuss abortion, it seems their users may not be able to either.
Sources:
- Joseph Cox, Jordan Pearson, Motherboard
- Mack DeGeurin, Gizmodo
- M. Moon, Engadget
- Amanda Seitz, AP News