Google Maps is directing British woman to fake abortion clinics
fact
woman directed by Google Maps to pro-life organisations
phone numbers
addresses
“pregnancy crisis centres”
= non-profit organisations which counsel pregnant women against having an abortion.
result of a Sunday Telegraph investigation
manipulating the system to appear on Google Maps
how ?
register on Google
owners are asked which category their service fits into + which search terms they want their website to appear for
pro-life centres
categorised themselves as abortion clinics
using keywords : “abortion advice”
--> to help them appear higher in Google’s search engine
a trend
started in the US
centres funded by private donors/religious organisations
uses technology to specifically target women looking for medical help
Katherine O'Brien
= head of media and policy research at the British Pregnancy Advisory Service
not opposed to the principal of anti-choice organisations
offering services to women who wish to seek out their advice <--
opposed to the tactics these groups employ in order to lure in pregnant women
who are trying to access impartial medical care <--
these organisations
inaccurate and potentially harmful information
ex : abortion causes breast-cancer, alcohol dependency
mistruths
don't prevent women from seeking an abortion
BUT can cause delays in accessing services
BUT make the decision more difficult than it already is
not "pro-life" BUT "anti-woman"
Abortion Rights
These centres are deceiving women
anti-choice agenda and actively attempt to prevent women from obtaining abortion
now calling for Google to make a clear distinction between real abortion providers and the anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centres
- required to uphold accountability/transparency /medical practice legislation
- to offer only factually correct information
- be equipped with qualified staff for the services they advertise
work hard to surface results that are relevant, accurate, and help users find what they're looking for
false statements about themselves or their services
can report the listing for correction or removal