Google, Facebook, Twitter ban pro-life ads on Ireland abortion referendum

Leading up to the May 25th referendum in Ireland on repealing the Eighth Amendment, Google announced that it would suspend all advertising related to the subject. The move has been condemned by pro-life groups as an attempt “to rig the election.”

In the announcement, Google claimed the decision came as part of “our update around election integrity efforts globally.” Pro-abortion groups applauded the decision, but as observers have noted, the only ads related to the referendum appear to be pro-life ads, so the ban would effectively benefit the pro-abortion campaign and harm campaign efforts for life in Ireland.

Ireland’s Eighth Amendment grants equal protection of the right to life of the preborn child and his or her mother. In the May 25th referendum, voters will decide whether to overturn these pro-life protections in the constitution. If they vote for repeal, legislators will have the power to legalize abortion for any reason up to birth. Pro-life advocates have focused on the excellent maternal care record in Ireland and the fact that abortion is never necessary to save the life of the mother.

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The repeal campaign has benefitted from marked pro-abortion bias in the media, celebrity endorsements and significant funding from the international abortion lobby. As such, the pro-life campaigners are at a disadvantage and have used online advertising on Google and social media platforms to reach voters with their message. The pro-life groups Save the 8th and the Iona Institute issued a joint statement that read in part, “Online was the only platform available to the No campaign to speak to voters directly. That platform is now being undermined in order to prevent the public from hearing the message of one side.” 

Twitter has also announced that it will suspend ads related to the referendum ahead of the May 25th vote. Twitter has a confirmed history of censoring pro-life content.

Most recently, Facebook has jumped on the bandwagon to join Google’s and Twitter’s bans. Colum Kenny, writing for the Irish Times, pointed out that the reason Facebook has given for the move is suspicious. While each of the tech giants claim to be supporting a fair election by preventing outside influence, the pro-life side is the one affected by the bans.

Additionally, the pro-abortion side is far from immune from outside influence as this side has received significant monetary support from George Soros and other globalist elites. Kenny asks, “Were the online companies influenced by a liberal ideology? Would they have made the same decision if a surge in advertising had come from the Yes [pro-abortion] side?” It’s a question worth asking.