Facebook Apologizes for Censorship of Pro-Life Ad by Emily Ward

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(Getty Images.) 

By Emily Ward, CNSNews, November 2, 2018

Facebook apologized for banning a pro-life advertisement by the Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) on Thursday, Nov. 1, saying it “never should have been disapproved.”

“This ad does not violate Facebook’s policies and should never have been disapproved. We’re sorry for this mistake – the ad has been restored and is now running on Facebook,” the company wrote.

The 30-second ad endorses U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) for her pro-life stance and condemns her opponent, Democrat Phil Bredesen, for his pro-choice views.

According to the SBA List, on Thursday morning “Facebook abruptly stopped running the group’s ad in Tennessee, exposing the abortion extremism of Phil Bredesen and supporting pro-life Marsha Blackburn for U.S. Senate. The ad had previously reached 90,000 low-turn out pro-life voters across the state.”

The SBA List is a pro-life nonprofit organization that seeks to “end abortion by electing national leaders and advocating for laws that save lives, with a special calling to promote pro-life women leaders,” according to its website.

The organization said Facebook’s restoration of its ad was “a great development,” but called the company out for creating a “hostile environment for #ProLife speech.”

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.  (Getty Images.)

“This is a great development,” the SBA List tweeted. “However this is the FIFTH time Facebook has censored our ads in the last month. Facebook has created a hostile environment for #ProLife speech as we never know when they’re going to decide to shut down our ads.”

Earlier in October, Facebook banned ads by the SBA List about two children, Charlotte Ryun and Micah Pickering, who were born prematurely.

In a press release on Oct. 26, SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser “condemned Facebook’s censorship” of its paid ad campaigns.

“Facebook must immediately stop its shameful censorship of the pro-life movement,” Dannenfelser said. “Charlotte Ryun and Micah Pickering survived their premature births. That’s factual. It’s also factual that pro-abortion politicians across this country support painful late-term abortions, even after 20 weeks, more than halfway through pregnancy. Facebook is censoring the truth and political free speech.”

In an email about Charlotte Ryun’s ad, Facebook suggested the ad was not approved due to its depiction of “medical procedures or conditions,” and that Facebook does not allow “ads that feature sensational or graphic content.”

A baby in the womb. (Getty Images.)

In a notification about the Micah Pickering ad, Facebook said the ad did not comply with its Advertising Policies. The SBA List claimedFacebook offered “NO explanation” for its decision.

 

https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/michael-w-chapman/facebook-apologizes-censorship-pro-life-ad