Democrat Lawmakers Push for Google to Limit and Label Pro-Life Centers
By Movieguide® Contributor
In a June 17 letter, Democrat lawmakers urged Google CEO Sundar Pichai to limit and label pro-life centers after a research group found pro-life resources in abortion-related Google searches.
This letter came in the wake of the leaked Supreme Court Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization draft that ultimately overturned Roe V. Wade on June 24.
“Google has been directing users who search for abortion services towards anti-abortion ‘fake clinics,’ also known as ‘crisis pregnancy centers’ or ‘pregnancy resource centers’ without any disclaimer indicating these businesses do not provide abortions and seek to steer women away from certain health decisions,” Democrat leaders say.
Movieguide® previously reported on the Supreme Court draft leak: “Abortion presents a profound moral question. The Constitution does not prohibit the citizens of each State from regulating or prohibiting abortion. Roe and Casey arrogated that authority. We now overrule those decisions and return that authority to the people and their elected representatives.”
U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Va. and Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich. led their colleagues in a letter, citing findings from the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), which they describe as “a U.S.-based nonprofit that fights online hate and misinformation.”
According to CCDH, 11% of Google search results and 37% of Google Map results for “abortion clinic near me” and “abortion pill” included “anti-abortion fake clinics,” or pro-life centers, in “trigger law” states. Trigger laws would effectively ban abortions in those states if the Supreme Court overrules Roe v. Wade.
The lawmakers claim that Google should not display pro-life or crisis pregnancy centers in the search results for “abortion clinic near me” and “abortion pill.” However, if Google continues showing these results, they should, “at the very least, be appropriately labeled.”
Since 2019, Google has displayed “small” and “easily missed” disclaimers on pro-life center ads, but “no such warning is present on non-sponsored search results.” Democrats expressed their dismay that 28% of Google Ads appearing at the top of “abortion clinic near me” and “abortion pill” search queries promoted pro-life centers.
These “misleading” ads engage in “overt deception” of women looking for abortion information, Democrats claim.
The Democrats believe that “Directing women towards fake clinics that traffic in misinformation and don’t provide comprehensive health services is dangerous to women’s health and undermines the integrity of Google’s search results.”
However, The Christian Post reports, “Pro-life pregnancy centers provide material support for women seeking to carry their babies to term as an alternative to abortion clinics and provide counseling to women unsure about abortion.”
“In 2019, pregnancy help centers and medical clinics distributed 1.3 million diapers, 2 million baby outfits, 50,000 car seats and strollers, and hundreds of thousands of other items of material support. They provided 291,000 clients with parenting classes. All for free. Planned Parenthood reported providing zero of these items or services. That’s not “pro-choice,” explains The Radiance Foundation co-founder Ryan Bomberger.
While Democrat lawmakers want to ensure that “users are receiving accurate information when they search for health care services like abortion on Google,” pro-life centers across the country have become targets of vandalism. This spike in violence is the result of the unprecedented leak from the Supreme Court that could bring the abortion debate back to the states.
As Movieguide® previously reported, Google has taken action against pro-life ads in the past:
Google banned multiple pro-life ads run by the activist group Live Action, according to its founder Lila Rose.
“At the request of abortion activists, Google has just BANNED all of @LiveAction‘s pro-life ads, including those promoting the Abortion Pill Reversal treatment, a resource that has saved 2500 children to date,” Rose tweeted on Sept. 14.
Rose shared more specifics in her follow-up tweets.
@Google has also banned the promotion of our Baby Olivia video, a medically accurate (& accredited by OBGYNs), lifelike animation of human development in the womb, citing ‘unreliable claims.’ This is the video banned from ads: https://youtu.be/S-lQOooYAs8 Unacceptable,” Rose wrote.
She added: “The now-banned Abortion Pill Reversal ads had been approved by @Google & running for over 4 months, spending over $170,000 & directing 100s of moms to the abortion pill reversal hotline Abortion activists knew the ads were making a difference, so they had Google shut them down.”
The ad bans come after the abortion argument in the United States reached a watershed moment a few weeks ago when the Supreme Court did not address a Texas law, allowing a strict abortion ban to take effect.
“Google disingenuously cites ‘unreliable claims’ as their reason to ban the promotion of Abortion Pill Reversal, but has obviously failed to understand the FDA-approved treatment that the reversal technology uses,” Rose told CBN in a statement. “Live Action and pro-life medical professionals across the country are proud to promote the Abortion Pill Reversal regimen, which involves an FDA-approved, bioidentical pregnancy hormone called progesterone that has been used for dozens of years to prevent miscarriage and has already saved thousands of lives.”
This is not the first time Google has taken action against pro-life organizations.
The Google-owned YouTube purged more than 15,000 videos from the pro-life channel LifeSiteNews.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
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Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
