Dear Mr. Zuckerberg:
Over the past several years, a series of reports have described a pattern of Facebook and Instagram restricting access to women’s health information. A new report has now found that Facebook and Instagram block advertisements providing information on women’s health and sexual health, while allowing often graphic, sexual content targeted at men. I therefore request you explain Meta’s uneven application of its advertising policies and the steps you will take to immediately address this double standard.
According to a report from the Center for Intimacy Justice, Facebook and Instagram regularly reject advertisements for products, services, and information serving the health needs of women and people of diverse genders.[1] Based on a study of 60 companies, Facebook and Instagram have blocked ads from every organization surveyed on topics including consent education, breastfeeding, pelvic pain, incontinence, menopause, endometriosis, and other issues critical to women’s health. Facebook reportedly suspended half the surveyed companies’ entire ad accounts, often with little explanation or recourse.
Additionally, it appears Facebook applies its advertising policies unevenly depending on the gender of the target audience. According to the report and subsequent press coverage, in rejecting ads, Facebook often cited its policies that bar “adult products or services" and “adult content," including “nudity" or “explicit or suggestive" depictions, when rejecting ads related to women’s health.[2] However, despite Facebook regularly blocking women’s health information, graphic ads targeting men-many with suggestive imagery or language on sexual performance or pleasure-were allowed.
This is not the only time Meta has been accused of inappropriately blocking women’s health information. In September, reporting revealed that Facebook and Instagram hid posts pertaining to mifepristone and misoprostol, medications used in abortion care.[3] In December, there were new reports that Facebook’s advertising enforcement restricts access to information on abortion related care.[4] In response to several of these incidents, Facebook pointed to “mistakes" in its moderation process.[5] However, these actions point to a pattern of stifling access to information on women’s health and sexual health, without any clear steps taken to address this self-described series of mistakes on your platforms.
Social media is often a critical tool for learning and sharing information, including health information. By preventing access to women’s health content, I am concerned Meta is actively preventing many of its users, especially women, from getting access to information that could support their health and well-being. To ensure you are applying your policies evenly and allowing access to health content across its platforms, I request you provide answers to the following questions no later than February 8, 2022.
Please direct any questions and response to this letter to Yelena Tsilker on my staff at Yelena_Tsilker@help.senate.gov.
I appreciate your timely attention to this issue.
Sincerely,
Senator Patty Murray
