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NBC reported Instagram is limiting what users may view after searches for two phrases and hashtags related to abortion had no new entries.
According to NBC, the social media platform has deleted some posts and limited at least two hashtags relating to abortion services based on user claims and warnings added to specific topics.
The report said, “Unlike normal searches on Instagram, searches for “abortion pills” and “mifepristone” (a popular abortion pill) on Monday did not immediately yield results.”
“On the hashtags for the same terms, a message was displayed that recent posts with the tags “are hidden because some posts may not follow Instagram’s Community Guidelines.”
NBC said the note does not specify the violated guidelines, and the start of Instagram limiting the hashtags is unclear.
In response, Dave Arnold, a public affairs director at Meta, led the news channel to a tweet from Meta communications director Andy Stone.
Stone’s tweet pointed to Meta’s “regulated goods” policy which bans content that attempts to buy, sell, trade, gift, request or donate pharmaceuticals.
The tweet also said, “Content that discusses the affordability and accessibility of prescription medication is allowed. We’ve discovered some instances of incorrect enforcement and are correcting these.”
Instagram has now unblocked the two hashtags.
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In the same report, NBC said that at least a dozen individuals have complained on social media that Instagram is eliminating posts on abortion.
According to NBC, journalist Meira Gebel said Instagram took down numerous of her posts about abortion and birth control following the overturn of the Roe v. Wade ruling, alleging vague violations of the platform’s community guidelines.
The company also briefly suspended and then restored an account called Abortion Finder.
Instagram cited Meta’s restricted goods policy, which prohibits “Attempts to buy, sell, trade, co-ordinate the trade of, donate, gift or asks for non-medical drugs,” as shown on screenshots posted on the Abortion Finder Twitter account.
The platform’s account was reinstated after an appeal against the suspension and a viral tweet about it.
Meta has already come under fire in the past for the way it handled the content of resources about abortion pills.
According to NBC, Instagram suspended Plan C, an account that gives details on abortion pills days before Texas’ six-week abortion law was about to take effect.
Following the May leak of the Supreme Court’s draft opinion repealing Roe v. Wade, Instagram also suspended the account of Aid Access, a group that links people with telemedicine abortion pill providers, per NBC.
In both occasions, Instagram eventually restored access to the suspended accounts.
You may also want to read: Instagram launches new parental supervision features (commsroom.co)
Jaw de Guzman is the content producer for Comms Room, a knowledge platform and website aimed at assisting the communications industry and its professionals.
