Lankford, Daines, Colleagues Demand Google Stop Silencing Pro-Life Views, Reverse Censorship

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK –  Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) to lead a group of nine senators to demand answers from the CEO of Google, Mr. Sundar Pichai, on Google’s double standard in censoring pro-life Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) advertisements while continuing to allow advertisements for deadly abortion pills.

“While banning pro-life APR ads, Google continues to allow ads for purveyors of the deadly abortion pill mifepristone by mail, despite the fact this drug has resulted in at least 24 mothers’ tragic deaths and at least 1,042 mothers being sent to the hospital. Google’s double standard on abortion is disingenuous and an egregious abuse of its enormous market power to protect the billion-dollar abortion industry. The practical consequence of Google’s abortion distortion is that pregnant mothers in crisis will only have the option to be marketed abortion drugs through Google’s ad platforms, while life-affirming alternatives are suppressed,” the senators wrote.

Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Braun (R-IN), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Mike Lee (R-UT), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Jim Inhofe (R-OK) joined Lankford and Daines in sending the letter.

Lankford is chairman of the Senate Values Action Team and member of the Senate Pro-Life Caucus.

Read the letter HERE and below.

Dear Mr. Pichai:

We are deeply concerned by Google’s decision to ban Live Action’s pro-life ads promoting Heartbeat International’s Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) hotline.  Google’s pro-life censorship is out of step with the science and reflects an unacceptable bias against pro-life views. We insist that you immediately reverse this decision.

Google initially approved Live Action’s APR ads and they ran for over four months, spending over $170,000 and directing thousands of people to the APR hotline.  On September 13, Google unexpectedly shut down these ads without warning or evidence, citing its “unreliable claims” policy. Google has subsequently indicated that it took this action after reviewing a one-sided pro-abortion “report” provided by a left-leaning news agency. Google has also since stated that it censored APR ads because they made “unproven medical claims”, citing “serious concerns” from the pro-abortion American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). It is shameful that Google has acted to appease pro-abortion activists by silencing pro-life voices, rather than considering all the evidence and following the science.

Progesterone treatment has been safely used in pregnancy for decades to prevent miscarriage.  In APR, this treatment is used to halt a chemical abortion, giving a mother (and her baby) who changes her mind after only taking the first abortion pill a second chance. APR treatments, moreover, have reportedly saved the lives of over 2,500 children and have a 64-68% success rate.

While banning pro-life APR ads, Google continues to allow ads for purveyors of the deadly abortion pill mifepristone by mail, despite the fact this drug has resulted in at least 24 mothers’ tragic deaths and at least 1,042 mothers being sent to the hospital. Google’s double standard on abortion is disingenuous and an egregious abuse of its enormous market power to protect the billion-dollar abortion industry. The practical consequence of Google’s abortion distortion is that pregnant mothers in crisis will only have the option to be marketed abortion drugs through Google’s ad platforms, while life-affirming alternatives are suppressed.

We ask that you promptly answer these questions:

1. Did any Google employees communicate with, or receive communications from, any representatives of pro-abortion organizations or news agencies, requesting Live Action’s APR ads be banned? If so, please provide the names of these organizations and news agencies.

2. Were scientists or medical doctors with a diversity of views on abortion consulted in the decision to ban the APR ads? Or only those who promote abortion (like ACOG)?

3. Will Google also remove ads for the deadly abortion pill mifepristone?

Again, we urge you to reverse Google’s unjust and indefensible decision to suppress these prolife life-saving APR information ads, and we look forward to your prompt response to the above questions.

Sincerely 

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