Online platforms are facing accusations of inconsistent and vague content moderation policies, particularly concerning posts and advertisements related to women’s health. A group of femtech companies – businesses focused on technology products addressing women’s health and wellness – have alleged systemic bias and discrimination against women’s health content by social media giants Meta (Facebook and Instagram), LinkedIn, Google, and Amazon.
The companies report that they have received “vague and inconsistent” reasons for the repeated blocking, removal, and restriction of content concerning women’s health issues. These include posts about menopause, endometriosis, and infertility. Six UK and European companies have formally complained to the European Commission, the body that regulates social media and search engines under the Digital Services Act, urging an investigation into the platforms’ moderation practices, which they believe are biased.
Clio Wood and Anna O’Sullivan, co-founders of the anti-censorship campaign group CensHERship, stated, “We have evidence [of] multiple cases where medically accurate, expert-led content has been blocked or labelled as ‘adult content’ or ‘political.’ We can’t improve women’s health if we can’t talk about our bodies using anatomically correct language.”
One specific instance involved a company specializing in lubricants for women experiencing painful sex. Its educational posts on endometriosis, postnatal recovery, and vaginal health were removed from LinkedIn for allegedly promoting “illegal products and services.”
Another example cited a breastfeeding support app whose advertisements were restricted by Instagram, where the image of a baby breastfeeding was censored and the word “nipple” was prohibited in educational content. Despite Meta classifying erectile dysfunction as a health condition and allowing advertisements for related treatments, the platform consistently blocked advertisements and posts for a product designed to boost women’s libido, citing its policy against promoting “sexual pleasure or enhancement.”
Bea Fertility, a company that sells at-home fertility testing kits, reported that diagrams and guides for using its products were rejected from its Amazon store page, simply because they contained the word “vagina,” while the word “semen” was permitted. The rejected graphics contained practical medical advice such as, “It isn’t safe for you to use [the product] if… you have had vaginal/cervical surgery within the last three months.” The stated reason given was that the keywords violated Amazon’s community guidelines.
The actions have been organized by CensHERship and the investment group The Case For Her, which focuses on women. They’re calling on the platforms to establish clear, non-discriminatory advertising guidelines that protect, rather than silence, conversations about women’s health.
Amazon has stated that it didn’t take action against Bea Fertility for its use of the term “vagina,” and said multiple products sold on its site use the word in their titles. A LinkedIn spokesperson said that their policies allow educational or awareness-related content on health topics as long as it doesn’t promote specific products or services, adding that authors can appeal content removal decisions.
Meta and Google did not respond to requests for comment on this issue.
