Following pressure from the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, Google has removed advertisements for pro-life crisis pregnancy centers.
The NARAL stated the advertisements were "deceptive" and in violation of Google's contract because they contained allegedly misleading text that suggesting that they performed abortions when they do not.
"Google's leadership in removing the majority of these ads is a victory for truth in advertising and for the women who have been targeted by a deliberate misinformation campaign by crisis pregnancy centers," Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said in a statement.
"We have no problem with crisis pregnancy centers advertising online; we have no problem with their existing. That is their right in America," she continued.
NARAL reported that advertisements for Crisis Pregnancy Centers appear 79 percent of the time someone searches Google for 'abortion clinic'."
However, while CPCs are pro-life facilities created to provide counsel and support for women experiencing unplanned pregnancies, CPC counselors are required to inform women of the abortion alternative.
"While we are a pro-life agency, every woman that enters our building receives full information concerning her choices," said Lucille McNatt, a counselor at the Crisis Pregnancy Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee. "That means every option ranging from adoption to abortion-we respect and acknowledge women's rights. Our ads never claimed that we perform abortions, but we do present that as an option to women. "
Brian Fisher, co-founder and president of Online for Life, agrees. "Our observation is that an overwhelming number of pro-life groups only advertise that women have options, and that they should consider those options," he told WORLD magazine.
Offending advertisements cited by the NARAL contained the headline "Abortion Information-is it safe? How much does it cost?" Another offered "Abortion Resources" and "Free & Private Info/Ultrasounds. Determine Viability/Gestational Age."
Debi Harvey, director of Open Arms Pregnancy Clinic in Northridge, California, told WORLD magazine CPCs using deception to prohibit abortion may have occurred in the past, it was "very rare."
"It grieves me that 'pro-choice' people are so blatantly disparaging pregnancy centers," she stated. "They might find one exception, or two, or three, and then they publish a full-on report on how this is what all pregnancy centers do. They paint us with a very broad brush."
The pro-life media group Heroic Media is asking Google to re-consider its decision, arguing that advertisements like theirs have the same goals as the work of Google generally.
Joe Young, Vice President of Operations and Strategic Initiatives said: "We encourage Google to remain neutral in their stance on this issue by applying the same standards to crisis pregnancy center's advertising as every other industry or organization, including abortion providers."
The conservative political activism website ActRight.com has launched a petition asking Google to reconsider its decision. The petition, which has gained over 10,800 signatures so far, asks pro-life advocates to sign to "let Google know that you oppose their banning of ads because of pro-abortion political pressure."
