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Following Google’s Lead, Yahoo Removes Deceptive Ads by Anti-Abortion Groups

After Google removed deceptive ads from anti-choice crisis pregnancy centers, the pro-choice groups UltraViolet and NARAL Pro-Choice America successfully petitioned Yahoo to do the same.

Yahoo's headquarters in Sunnyvale, California. Wikimedia Commons

After Google removed deceptive ads from anti-choice crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) that have been known to deceive women into thinking they’re abortion clinics, the pro-choice groups UltraViolet and NARAL Pro-Choice America successfully petitioned Yahoo to do the same.

A Yahoo spokesperson told CNET that at least some of the ads are “out of compliance” with Yahoo’s policies, and that they are reviewing the others and will take similar action with any other ads that are noncompliant.

NARAL research found that 79 percent of searches for the term “abortion clinic” turn up at least one ad funded by anti-choice groups like Online for Life, which is fairly open about its strategy to reach “abortion-determined women” through Internet searches for “abortion” and related terms.

NARAL calls CPCs “fake clinics” and has done extensive investigations into the systematic ways CPCs lie to women. Pregnant women often come to CPCs falsely believing they can get an abortion or other medical care, and they are instead given medically inaccurate anti-choice propaganda about the supposed dangers of abortion.