Meta Must Stop Silencing Reproductive Health Information

• EFF submitted a public comment to the Meta Oversight Board regarding the systemic suppression of reproductive health information on platforms like Instagram.
• Meta's moderation systems frequently misclassify educational content and personal medical accounts as prohibited drug transactions.
• The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) calls for five specific policy reforms to address arbitrary content removals, account restrictions, and ineffective appeals.

Pattern of Over-Enforcement

• Meta's 'Restricted Goods and Services' policy is often cited to remove posts that do not actually violate rules, such as factual or educational content.
• Multiple organizations have faced censorship:
  • The Miscarriage+Abortion Hotline: Had content removed and account restricted while providing information on legally obtaining medication.
  • Red River Women's Clinic: Experienced account locks after discussing mifepristone.
  • RISE (Emory University): Faced similar account restrictions for reproductive health research content.
• Users frequently report 'shadowbanning' or de-ranking without clear notice or paths for recourse.

Flawed Appeals and Human Oversight

• Current appeal processes are ineffective, often requiring media attention or inside contacts at Meta to reverse erroneous moderation decisions.
• Automated systems struggle with the nuance of healthcare discussions, failing to distinguish between legal advocacy and illicit drug sales.

Requested Reforms

• Publish clear, transparent policies regarding content removal and account suspension.
• Ensure consistent and fair enforcement of rules.
• Provide meaningful explanations for enforcement actions and standard appeal pathways.
• Establish a functional, accessible appeals process that does not rely on insider influence.
• Increase human moderation for sensitive healthcare and political content to reduce errors caused by automation.