Dear Friend of NIFLA,
The attacks on Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRCs) and Pregnancy Medical Clinics (PMCs) reached a new level this week when the abortion activist organisation NARAL Pro-Choice America launched a hyped-up media blitz claiming that Google was helping them to shut down fake pregnancy centres. The Washington Post wrote a one-sided article on Monday, 28 April 2014, stating, “Google is removing Web search ads for some “crisis pregnancy centres” after an investigation by NARAL Pro-Choice America found evidence that the ads violated Google’s policy against deceptive advertising”.
NARAL claimed to have conducted Google searches for “abortion clinic, city, state” in 77 locations and found that 79% of the time a pro-life centre’s paid advertisement appeared. They did not specify what was misleading about the ads or the websites linked to them. However, they did complain to Google. In response, Google reiterated its advertising policy prohibiting “misleading, inaccurate and deceptive” ads – a policy that we in the pro-life movement fully agree with and abide by in accordance with the National Commitment of Care and Competence.
At this stage there are few, if any, confirmed reports that Google has removed any paid-for adverts. There is one Google ad in question from ’40 Million and Counting’, a pro-life group that does its own education and advertising, which may have been removed, but it is not a pregnancy centre. The Internet platform advertising companies that NIFLA has spoken to report that there have been no consequences for any of their ads.
The Wall Street Journal reported on 29 April 2014,
“Google reviews ads for relevance, clarity and accuracy using a combination of automated systems and manual review. When it finds violations, the company said in a statement, “we take appropriate action as quickly as possible, including disabling accounts and blacklisting.” Google said it removed 350 million “bad ads” from its systems in 2013.
In the case of the abortion clinic ads, a Google spokesman said the ads removed were inaccurate because they claimed to offer a service that wasn’t provided by the advertiser. The spokesman said Google had not removed all ads for crisis pregnancy centres.
For example, NARAL cited an ad found in a search for “abortion clinics Escondido CA”. The ad read “Free Abortion Clinic CA”. The website to which the ad linked was published by ’40 Million and Counting’, a non-profit organisation that does not provide abortion services. The ad did not appear in a search for those terms on Tuesday. A spokeswoman for the group did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
By contrast, some ads that NARAL complained about were not removed. One, from a clinic in Savannah, Ga., advertised a “women’s clinic” offering “free abortion counseling.
Interestingly, when you search for “abortion alternatives, city, state”, who do you think comes up in the paid ads? Go on, try it! The top three listings will most likely be abortion providers. Talk about deceptive and misleading advertising! Let’s tell Google about it!
If you know of a PRC/PMC whose paid advertising has been removed by Google, please let us know. As a general rule, we encourage our member centres to stand by the National Commitment of Care and Competence, which can be found on our website at www.nifla.org/membership-commitment-of-care.asp and which states in part, “All of our advertising and communications are truthful and honest and accurately describe the services we provide.
Thank you for standing with NIFLA to equip, protect and defend PRCs/PMCs against such circumstances.
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
