A recent investigation by The Observer has revealed that women who seek online advice about abortion are being directed toward pregnancy counseling services run by anti-abortion campaigners.
According to The Guardian's report, Google ads designed to resemble real search results and appear above genuine listings were reportedly shown regularly for searches related to pregnancy and abortion.
Services Run by Anti-Abortion Groups
An analysis conducted this month showed that out of 251 ads shown by Google UK to a user searching for 40 key phrases, such as "NHS abortion advice", "confidential abortion support", and "pregnant teenager help", 117 came from anti-abortion groups.
The report reveals the efforts of anti-abortion groups in the UK to market their services and raises concerns that women seeking medical advice could be exposed to biased information.
While the adverts do contain a small "ad" tag, the report found that they are often displayed above trusted sources of information, such as the NHS website, and can easily be mistaken for genuine search results.
Some of the services advertised claim to offer impartial support but disregarded the anti-abortion views of the organizations behind them.
One of the most prominent advertisers identified in the investigation was the Pregnancy Crisis Helpline, whose adverts appeared in response to 14 of the 40 search phrases tested.
The helpline's website claims to provide "support for women struggling with an unplanned pregnancy" in a "safe and confidential place". However, it was co-launched with Christian Concern, a right-wing evangelical organization that wants to ban abortion.
According to the helpline, the number of people contacting them has spiked recently, with 2,000 clients in 2022 compared to 500 in 2021.
Other Google adverts directed women to a counseling service run by the charity Life, which is also opposed to abortion.
"Clearly Immoral"
While Google maintains that the adverts comply with their rules and that they contain an "ad" tag in bold lettering and a disclaimer stating that the services they promote do not provide abortions, some argue that the approach is unethical.
Lisa Hallgarten, head of policy at young people's sexual health charity Brook, described the advertising as "clearly immoral" and warned that the adverts could compromise women's access to healthcare.
In response to the report, Google said in a statement with The Guardian: "When it comes to abortion-related ads, we require an added level of transparency so that people seeking abortion-related resources know what services an advertiser actually provides."
"Any organization that wants to target queries related to getting an abortion must complete our certification process and clearly disclose whether they do or do not offer abortions."
