AG Demands GoogleMaps Remove Pregnancy Centers

Attorney

The office of Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James demanded in a Tuesday letter that Google remove crisis pregnancy centers from search engine result about abortion.

“A search through Google Maps seeking ‘abortion’ and a location will provide a local listing of both those health care providers who offer abortion services and organizations that do not provide abortion care,” Darsana Srinivasan wrote.

James declared that Google had actually been previously notified about inclusion of crisis pregnancy centers and demanded the business address what she called “misinformation” in a Wednesday release.

“Given the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, it is more important than ever that New York stands strong in providing safe access to abortion,” said Attorney General James. 

Her office wrote, “In a letter to Google, Attorney General James expressed grave concerns regarding the failure of Google Maps to distinguish between facilities that offer abortion services and those that do not, which could lead individuals seeking abortions to visit crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) for care. The CPCs’ websites often misrepresent that they provide reproductive health care services — including abortion — but in reality, they do not provide abortion or any health care services, and frequently do not have any licensed medical providers on staff. Because of their misleading sites, CPCs are often included in Google Maps search results for “abortion” when in fact they exist solely to discourage pregnant individuals from having an abortion. Attorney General James’ urged Google to take immediate action to ensure that results for abortion providers in New York are accurate.”

“Indeed, those latter organizations known as ‘crisis pregnancy centers’ (CPCs) are not health care providers and will not provide abortion counseling or abortion referrals,” the letter from Srinivasan said. “CPCs exist solely to intercept and dissuade pregnant people from making fully informed decisions about their healthcare such as the choice to obtain an abortion.”

“New Yorkers, and others traveling to the state, should trust that Google Maps will provide accurate information and direct them to real and safe care,” James said. “My office will do whatever is necessary to work with Google to make these changes and ensure that people can locate the reproductive health care facilities that they need.”

The New York Attorney General’s Office and Alphabet, Google’s parent company, did not instantly react to requests for comment from journalists.

H/T The Daily Caller News Foundation.

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