Meta is under growing scrutiny from digital rights campaigners after a wave of account removals hit abortion access providers, queer organisations and reproductive health groups across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp in recent weeks.
Activists say the scale of the crackdown—affecting dozens of organisations worldwide—marks one of the most significant censorship drives on Meta’s platforms in years.
The removals began in October and have targeted more than 50 organisations, some of which serve tens of thousands of people. Although the hardest-hit groups were based in Europe and the UK, bans and restrictions also extended to organisations supporting women in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Repro Uncensored, an NGO that monitors digital censorship around gender and health, said it had recorded 210 incidents of takedowns and severe restrictions this year, compared with 81 last year.
Campaigners say the latest actions mirror Meta’s approach during Trump’s previous term, when US-based abortion pill hotlines and LGBTQ+ accounts reported widespread shadow-banning. According to Repro Uncensored’s executive director, Martha Dimitratou, account removals have accelerated since the new US presidency, with a ripple effect globally affecting groups offering legal reproductive services or sexuality education.
The organisations say Meta has been opaque and unresponsive. Researchers note a pattern: Meta removes accounts, faces public pressure, and reinstates some of them—often without explanation. The appeals process, they say, is too slow to offer meaningful recourse.
One of the most affected groups is Women Help Women, a Netherlands-registered nonprofit that answers 1,50,000 emails a year from women seeking abortion information globally. Its Facebook page, active for 11 years, was banned in November for allegedly violating rules on prescription drugs. The group said the ban risked pushing women towards unsafe sources of information. Meta later reinstated the page, calling the suspension an error.
Others have faced repeated disruptions. Colombian feminist group Jacarandas said its WhatsApp helpline has been blocked and restored three times since October, leaving it unable to predict when or whether future bans will occur. UK-based Sex Talk Arabic reported weekly warnings over posts on sexuality and reproductive health, culminating in the removal of an artistic illustration for violating Meta’s nudity guidelines.
Despite Meta’s assurances that it permits discussion and advertising of healthcare services, affected organisations say the company’s enforcement—often automated, inconsistent and US-centric—continues to silence essential public health voices.