Instagram and Facebook Are Removing Posts Mentioning Abortion Pills

Following the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade on June 24, Instagram and Facebook -- both subsidiaries of Mark Zuckerberg's Meta -- have begun removing posts offering, or even mentioning, abortion pills.

According to The Guardian, the media intelligence firm Zignal Labs noticed a surge in searches for abortion pills like mifepristone and misoprostol after the Supreme Court's ruling. Social media users have taken to the online platforms to share memes and status updates on how people can access these medications legally through services such as Hey Jane, Just the Pill, and Choix in certain states.

These posts shared on Facebook and Instagram have been removed, with some vanishing in a matter of minutes. A reporter at the Associated Press tried sharing a post on Facebook offering to mail abortion pills, which was removed within a minute. As reported by The Verge, posts offering firearms or marijuana -- which are also prohibited as per Meta's policies -- were not immediately removed.

Andy Stone, a spokesperson for Meta, shared on Twitter: "Content that attempts to buy, sell, trade, gift, request or donate pharmaceuticals is not allowed. Content that discusses the affordability and accessibility of prescription medication is allowed. We've discovered some instances of incorrect enforcement and are correcting these."