UK Anti-Abortion Charity, Linked to MPs, Ran Misleading Facebook Ads

A UK anti-abortion charity with political connections increased its Facebook ad spend from around £11,400 in 2020 to nearly £190,000 within three years. An investigation by the Observer and the Citizens showed that the charity, serving as the secretariat for the Pro-Life All Party Parliamentary Group, noticeably intensified its campaigning with ads, often displaying foetal images, reaching over 13 million views in 2023, up from less than 1 million in 2020. The charity also saw a 60% rise in income during this period.

Some ads were found to contain inaccuracies, notably regarding the safety of telemedicine for abortion pills, despite confirmation from the NHS and studies demonstrating its safety. Right to Life UK acknowledged it removed certain ads based on a misreported Sun article. Moreover, the charity has been campaigning through Facebook against sex-selective abortion, although experts assert such bans are ineffective and potentially harmful.

Right to Life UK has also targeted legislative proposals, claiming decriminalization would allow abortion up to birth, a statement contested by proponents of decriminalization like Labour MP Stella Creasy, who highlights that her proposed legislative changes are not intended to allow such procedures.

Despite inconsistencies, Facebook's policy allows these adverts to persist, some being removed for violating advertising standards while others remain. The social media platform has not consistently enforced policies and did not publicly comment on the issue but indicated that ads on abortion should only target adults over 18.