What is Digital Censorship
Digital censorship or digital suppression refers to platform practices that limit the visibility or availability of sexual and reproductive health information online. This includes content removals, account suspensions, shadowbanning, and other
forms of algorithmic suppression.
These practices disproportionately affect abortion access organizations, LGBTQ+ communities, sex worker-led groups, and sexual health educators, restricting access to essential information, support, and stripping away individuals livelyhood.
Repro Uncensored documents a global and growing pattern of digital censorship affecting reproductive health, gender and sexuality, and other marginalized communities across digital platforms.
These practices are often automated, opaque, and unevenly enforced, with real consequences for access, safety, and visibility.
Here are the most common ways of the dissemination of information can be limited and censored online:
1) Content removal
Activists and organizations have reported their abortion content being removed for “violating community guidelines”, even if the content of the post is not violative.
Sometimes, platforms will incorrectly cite that abortion content is removed for violating policies on the sale of regulated goods or pharmaceuticals, even if there is no mention of how to purchase abortion medications in the post.
In the most extreme cases, some reproductive health and rights accounts are suspended from social media platforms with little to no explanation, which fully limits their ability to share information about abortion care and how to access it.
2) Reduced Reach
Many advocates fear that directly discussing abortion on social media may lead to their accounts receiving less engagement (such as lower views on videos or fewer likes on posts).
Out of the fear of being censored, some accounts use alternative spellings of the word “abortion” (such as “@bortion” or “ab0rti0n”) because they believe it reduces the restriction of their content. It is also used to ensure that the content is still visible and discoverable, as users believe the visibility of certain content is limited because of the specific words that they use.
If you or your organization have experienced censorship, let us know so we can track and take action.
The action of limiting the visibility of a user on a social media platform or other online space without them being notified.
3) Shadowbanning
When a user is shadowbanned, the visibility of their organic content to their followers is very limited, and their account may not be found using the platform’s search function. This can severely reduce an account’s engagement, and make the account nearly invisible to other users on the platform.
4) Advertising restriction
Organizations and individuals have also reported difficulties advertising about abortion information or services on platforms that don’t explicitly restrict such ads.
Digital censorship is ongoing and increasing
These enforcement processes are often opaque and lengthy, with little transparency or meaningful recourse.
They cause real harm by perpetuating stigma, delaying or blocking access to critical information, and forcing organizations to divert time and resources away from care, education, and community support.