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

Google

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