Facebook Accused Of Censoring Reproductive Health Content

Facebook loves to tout the power of the artificial intelligence it uses to detect and remove offensive content. However, this technology too often does the opposite of what it’s intended and takes down innocent or even useful posts. For example, this week, the advocacy groups MSI Reproductive Choices and Center for Countering Digital Hate are claiming that Facebook censors tons of content about reproductive healthcare, especially in countries where Facebook is often a main source of information.

While Facebook’s content moderation policies are aimed at tackling the debate around abortion in the US, experts say the company also removes content around IUDs, other contraceptive methods, women’s health, and more.

“Facebook is the go-to place for reproductive health information for many women. We have been scaling our digital operation to meet the demand but we’re struggling to get reliable information in front of the women who need it,” Whitney Chinogwenya, the global marketing manager for MSI Reproductive Choices, told The Guardian. “We deal with everything from menopause to menstruation but we find that all our content is censored.”

For seemingly the millionth time, Facebook has had to learn the lesson that there is no one-size-fits-all policy for content moderation, and AI can only go so far. Unfortunately, the company has shown no signs that it’s willing to invest more in real people to sort through these problems, so they’re likely to just keep happening all over the globe.




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