Google Ads Abortion Ads Changes

Google has posted changes or updates for those who are advertising around abortion topics. These changes impact advertisers providing medication abortions or abortion pills.

Google explained in this help document that starting in July 2022, and due to the FDA’s recent removal of the in-person dispensing requirement for abortion pills in December 2021, the Google Ads Abortion certification and disclosures policy will be updated for advertisers providing medication abortions or abortion pills.

Google said “this update will clarify that advertisers providing medication abortions or abortion pills, but that do not dispense them to customers at their own facilities, may be certified as advertisers that provide abortions. The policy update will go into effect in July 2022, after which these advertisers will be able to apply for a ‘Provides abortion’ disclosure.”

Here is Google’s current policy on abortion ads:

Advertisers in the United States, United Kingdom, or Ireland who want to run ads using queries related to getting an abortion first need to self-declare as an advertiser that either provides abortions from their own facilities or does not provide abortions. Once your submitted self-declaration has been verified, you’ll be certified to run these ads and Google will automatically generate one of the following in-ad disclosures for your abortion product or service ads: “Provides abortions” or “Does not provide abortions.” The disclosures show on all Search ad formats.

Here is the update to the abortion ads policy:

Google is updating eligibility for the “Provides abortions” disclosure. Going forward, advertisers promoting medication abortions or abortion pills but who do not dispense them to customers at their own facilities, will also be qualified to receive the “Provides abortion” disclosure. This includes, for example, providers that are authorized to dispense abortion pills by mail following a telemedicine consultation. To qualify for this disclosure, you will first have to be certified as an online pharmacy per our existing Healthcare and medicines policy. This updated option is eligible only to advertisers in the United States.

As documented the requirements to be certified as an advertiser that provides abortions:

(1) You are considered a location-based abortion provider if you provide abortions at your own facilities, including, but not limited to, hospitals, clinics (both abortion clinics and non-specialized clinics), or physician’s offices where abortions are performed or abortion pills are directly dispensed.

(2) (For United States advertisers only) You are considered a certified online pharmacy if you provide medication abortions or abortion pills, but do not dispense them to customers at your own facilities. This includes, for example, providers that are authorized to dispense abortion pills by mail following a telemedicine consultation. To qualify for this option, you must be certified with Google as an online pharmacy per the prescription drug sale requirements under Healthcare and medicines policy. Apply here to be certified as an online pharmacy.

The requirements to be certified as an advertiser that does not provide abortions:

You are considered an advertiser that does not provide abortions if you don’t provide abortions at your own facilities. This may include organizations that provide pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, abortion counseling, general abortion information, abortion referrals, or that otherwise serve pregnant individuals but do not provide abortions. For the purposes of abortion advertiser certification and disclosure policy requirements, this may also include advertisers promoting non-service-based abortion content—for example, books about abortion or perspectives on abortion.

Here is the application form for Abortion ads certification.

You can dig into the abortion policy in more detail over here.

Nicole Farley posted more on SEL as well.

Forum discussion at Twitter.