Live Action: Twitter’s ban on pro-life ads is discriminatory and wrong

In a press release this morning, Live Action has urged social media giant Twitter to reconsider its continual suppression of pro-life ads. For years, Twitter has blocked the accounts of Live Action and Lila Rose from purchasing ads to reach the public. Blocked ads include information on Planned Parenthood’s lack of health services for women, a map directing women to comprehensive health care clinics around the nation, and a quote by Thomas Jefferson. During the ongoing debate on Planned Parenthood’s government funding, the abortion chain is allowed to purchase Twitter ads, while Live Action is blocked.

Twitter informed Live Action that it must delete “current and past sensitive content” from its own website before advertising could be purchased again. Additionally, Twitter told Live Action to delete all tweets calling for the end of taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood, all tweets of the organization’s undercover investigations into Planned Parenthood, and any ultrasound images of preborn children — the same kind that hang on many new mothers’ refrigerators.

Lila Rose, the founder and president of Live Action, said Twitter’s ban is unfair and shows extreme bias, considering that the group for many years has accepted advertising from Planned Parenthood, which receives most its funding from the federal government and commits more than 328,000 abortions a year.

“This wasn’t about a single issue with one ad. This was about the entirety of our pro-life message, from ultrasound images of life in the womb to criticism of abortion facilities,” Ms. Rose told the Washington Post.

“Twitter’s self-stated purpose is to ‘give everyone the power to create and share ideas and information instantly, without barriers,’” said Rose, quoting the company’s mission statement. “They are completely violating that.”

“Twitter should lift the ban, or be honest with the public and their users: There are certain messages they don’t agree with that they won’t run.”

Live Action attorney Patricia Glaser sent a demand letter to Twitter last week. Glaser explains that Twitter’s actions are not only discriminatory and biased, but also in violation of state and federal law:

Most troubling, Live Action attorney Patricia L. Glaser said, was a demand by Twitter that Live Action remove “sensitive” content from the nonprofit group’s own website before it could apply to have its advertising privileges reinstated. Among the content that Twitter objected to was a petition calling for a ban against federal funding of Planned Parenthood, the nation’s leading abortion provider.

“Twitter’s decision to condition any resumption in Live Action’s advertising on the restriction of content posted on Live Action’s own website runs afoul of Twitter’s own express policies, in addition to certain precepts of California and federal law,” Ms. Glaser said in a letter to Twitter.

Live Action has continued to advertise on Facebook and other social media websites during the time Twitter has blocked its ads. One of Live Action’s videos, filmed with former abortionist and current OBGYN Dr. Anthony Levatino, has been viewed over 100 million times:

2nd Trimester Surgical Abortion: Dilation and Evacuation (D & E)

Below are further examples of ads from Lila Rose’s account that have been blocked by Twitter, while the ads from Planned Parenthood are allowed to spread. Live Action’s press release can be read in its entirety here.