'Horrifying and utterly unsurprising': The 'shady' abortion reversal ads running on Facebook


Social media giant Facebook has been allowing ads for an "unproven and unethical" abortion reversal procedure to be seen up to 18.4 million times over the last year and a half, The Daily Beast reports.
The "shady" ads are typically a part of anti-abortion campaigns, and advertise a "potentially dangerous," non FDA-approved abortion pill reversal method. According to a 92-ad analysis from the Center for Countering Digital Hate, such bulletins were viewed on Facebook "between 16.2 and 18.4 million times — including more than 700,000 times by children between the ages of 13 and 17" — from Jan. 1, 2020 to Sept. 8, 2021, The Daily Beast writes, per the CCDH. What's more, the social network reportedly "accepted between $115,400 and $140,667 for these ads over that time period, according to its own ad library."
But Zuckerberg isn't the only offender. "More than three-quarters of Google searches for terms related to abortion displayed similar ads," notes The Daily Beast. Both Facebook and Google have said they are investigating or have removed the flagged ads, respectively.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Dina Montemarano, research director at NARAL Pro-Choice America, called the CCDH's report "both horrifying and utterly unsurprising."
"[These companies] would rather let far-right anti-choice groups advertise an unproven, dangerous practice to literal teenagers than address even the lowest-hanging fruit of medical disinformation," she said.
Anti-abortion advocates have "for years" promoted abortion pill reversal, despite dubious studies and serious complications.
Dr. Nisha Verma, an abortion provider and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists fellow, said ads like these project "this false narrative that people aren't sure, that people aren't getting counseling, that they're getting tricked into making these decisions and then changing their minds." She added, "And that then contributes to other attempts to restrict abortion." Read more at The Daily Beast.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Critics' choice: Three takes on tavern dining
Feature A second Minetta Tavern, A 1946 dining experience, and a menu with a mission
By The Week US
-
Film reviews: Warfare and A Minecraft Movie
Feature A combat film that puts us in the thick of it and five misfits fall into a cubic-world adventure
By The Week US
-
What to know before lending money to family or friends
the explainer Ensure both your relationship and your finances remain intact
By Becca Stanek, The Week US
-
Meta on trial: What will become of Mark Zuckerberg's social media empire?
Today's Big Question Despite the CEO's attempt to ingratiate himself with Trump, Meta is on trial, accused by the U.S. government of breaking antitrust law
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
-
Test flight of orbital rocket from Europe explodes
Speed Read Isar Aerospace conducted the first test flight of the Spectrum orbital rocket, which crashed after takeoff
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
What does an ex-executive's new memoir reveal about Meta's free speech pivot?
Today's Big Question 'Careless People' says Facebook was ready to do China censorship
By Joel Mathis, The Week US
-
What's Mark Zuckerberg's net worth?
In Depth The Meta magnate's products are a part of billions of lives
By David Faris
-
Apple pledges $500B in US spending over 4 years
Speed Read This is a win for Trump, who has pushed to move manufacturing back to the US
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Microsoft unveils quantum computing breakthrough
Speed Read Researchers say this advance could lead to faster and more powerful computers
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
TikTok's fate uncertain as weekend deadline looms
Speed Read The popular app is set to be banned in the U.S. starting Sunday
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Appeals court kills FCC net neutrality rule
Speed Read A U.S. appeals court blocked Biden's effort to restore net-neutrality rules
By Peter Weber, The Week US