Miss. Senators are among 11 lawmakers who signed the letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
On Tuesday, pro-life group Live Action claimed that Google abruptly removed pro-life ads pushing a treatment to reverse the abortion pill, a treatment that the pro-life group claims has saved the lives of thousands of unborn babies.
Today, Mississippi U.S. Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith are among 11 lawmakers who signed a letter that demands reversal of Google ban on pro-life ads as well as ask Google CEO Sundar Pichai to justify Google’s double standard in censoring advertisements for a pro-life Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) hotline while continuing to allow ads 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.
The letter also asks Mr. Pichai three questions:
- 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.
- 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)?
- Will Google also remove ads for the deadly abortion pill mifepristone?
Over the last couple of years, tech giants continuously silencing conservative voices has become a hot topic of debate.
In June, Senator Wicker joined other Republican colleagues in a press conference led by Senator Blackburn where they discussed how powerful tech companies have taken unprecedented steps to censor free speech.
Last year, Big Tech platforms Facebook, Twitter and Google faced the House and Senate Judiciary and Commerce Committees for hearings that addressed online bias and censorship.
Senator Wicker stated that Google has a double standard when it comes to the issue of abortion and that it is “an egregious abuse of its enormous market power.”
.@Google has banned some pro-life ads while continuing to allow ads for deadly abortion pills by mail.
The company’s double standard on abortion is disingenuous and an egregious abuse of its enormous market power.
Google must reverse its ban.https://t.co/iNUbKkse7f
— Senator Roger Wicker (@SenatorWicker) September 16, 2021
Senator Hyde-Smith wrote on Twitter that, “Google’s double standard on abortion amounts to censorship and an abuse of its enormous market power.”
.@Google's double standard on abortion amounts to censorship and an abuse of its enormous market power. @SenatorWicker & I oppose its decision to allow ads for marketed abortion drugs while suppressing life-affirming alternatives. #prolife Read our letter to @sundarpichai:
— U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (@SenHydeSmith) September 16, 2021
The letter is available here.
Anne Summerhays
