In the wake of Donald Trump’s return to power, major organisations that help Americans access abortion pills have reported increased censorship on Instagram. Several groups have seen their posts removed, blurred, or made difficult to find—a practice known as "shadow-banning."
A Renewed Crackdown on Abortion Content?
Censorship of abortion-related content on social media is nothing new. In the aftermath of Roe v. Wade being overturned in 2022, abortion rights organizations experienced widespread content removal and account suspensions. However, the recent uptick in restrictions has raised alarm among advocates who fear that a broader crackdown may be imminent.
Rebecca Davis, head of marketing at Hey Jane, a telehealth clinic providing abortion pills, emergency contraception, and birth control, described how their Instagram account has been shadow-banned. Users searching for “Hey Jane” will no longer find the organization’s page unless they enter its full name, “Hey Jane Health”.
"For someone seeking care, there’s no way for them to know that they have to type in our full name," Davis explained. "It really limits people’s ability to find accurate information when they need essential healthcare."
Additionally, an Instagram post from Hey Jane titled “5 Abortion Facts You Need to Know in 2025” was removed, with Meta claiming it violated policies against buying or selling prescription drugs. This is despite Hey Jane being LegitScript-certified, meaning it meets regulatory standards for online pharmacies.
A Pattern of Restrictions
Hey Jane is not alone. Women Help Women and Just the Pill, two other organizations that help people access abortion pills, also had their accounts restricted last week. Women Help Women’s page was removed entirely before being reinstated, while Aid Access, which provides medication abortions by mail, has seen multiple posts blurred or deleted.
Plan C, an organisation providing abortion pill information, has had its Instagram account taken down at least six or seven times, according to digital strategist Martha Dimitratou. She describes a frustrating cycle in which groups must repeatedly prove their legitimacy to social media companies.
"Every time we have a new instance of censorship, we have to prove that we are a non-profit. We have to go again from square one," Dimitratou said.
Meta’s Response and Ongoing Transparency Issues
A spokesperson for Meta, Instagram’s parent company, denied any recent policy changes but acknowledged “over enforcement” and a “technical bug” that led to posts being incorrectly blurred or removed.
“We prohibit the sale of pharmaceutical drugs on our platforms without proper certification,” Meta stated. “These groups encountered both correct enforcement and a variety of issues, including over enforcement and a technical bug.”
Despite Meta’s claims, abortion rights advocates say the lack of transparency around content moderation leaves organisations scrambling to understand how to comply. Jane Eklund, a researcher with Repro Uncensored, pointed out that many groups are mistakenly flagged as selling abortion pills even when they are simply sharing educational information.
"So many organisations are left in the dark," Eklund said. "They would do what they need to do to avoid having their content taken down if they actually knew what that is."
What’s Next for Abortion Rights Groups?
With growing uncertainty over how social media companies will handle abortion-related content, groups like Plan C, Hey Jane, and Women Help Women remain committed to their mission despite repeated setbacks. However, as abortion restrictions continue to evolve in the U.S., advocates worry that accessing essential reproductive health information online will only become more difficult.
For now, abortion rights groups say they will continue to push for transparency and accountability from tech companies, ensuring that people seeking reproductive healthcare are not left without access to vital resources.
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