Networks of Dissuasion

The report analyzes anti-abortion activity across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X in France from May 2022 to June 2023. It finds that anti-abortion mobilization relies heavily on 'dissuasive content'—including unverified testimonials and graphic imagery—and misinformation about abortion procedures. The research highlights a strong intersection between anti-abortion actors and far-right, anti-LGBTQ+, and religious communities. It specifically identifies the role of algorithmic recommendations on YouTube and Instagram Reels in serving harmful content to users, including minors, and documents the monetization of this content through Meta ads, with one page alone spending over €40,000 to reach millions of impressions, including targeting 13- to 17-year-olds with distressing imagery.

• Anti-abortion mobilization in France primarily utilizes misinformation, misleading claims about abortion procedures, and 'dissuasive content' designed to discourage users from seeking care. This includes misrepresenting the suffering of the foetus, side effects for women, and the abortion process itself.
• Anti-abortion networks are closely interlinked with other ideological groups, with far-right accounts representing the largest community involved in amplifying this content. Other connected groups include anti-surrogacy, anti-LGBTQ+, and anti-trans advocacy organizations, as well as certain Christian and royalist actors.
• Meta generated an estimated €43,750 from 199 anti-abortion Facebook ads between May 2022 and June 2023, resulting in 9.4 million impressions. The page 'IVG Vous Hésitez' was the primary advertiser, spending an average of €40,033.
• Anti-abortion advertising on Facebook specifically targeted minors; 50 ads reached 13- to 17-year-olds, and 24 of those contained graphic or emotionally distressing content, including discussions of sexual assault.
• YouTube's recommendation algorithms served misinformative, graphic, and dissuasive content to all tested profiles, including a minor who had not previously watched anti-abortion content. The report also found that YouTube's promised 'informational panels' for abortion-related videos were rarely applied in practice.
• Instagram Reels recommended dissuasive or misleading content to users in one-fifth of the analyzed home feed posts. The algorithm also recommended 'tradwife' accounts that promote traditional gender roles and have links to far-right ideology.
• Anti-abortion actors on X (formerly Twitter) weaponized the debate over entrenching abortion rights in the French constitution and spread misinformation that mischaracterizes World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.
• Some anti-abortion pages use deceptive tactics to appear neutral or pro-choice, such as using pro-choice hashtags and misleading titles, while actually promoting anti-abortion views. This may violate French law regarding 'obstruction to abortion'.
• The report identified the promotion of 'abortion pill reversal'—a scientifically unproven and harmful procedure—through Meta ads and YouTube videos, noting that platforms failed to remove this medical misinformation.

APA

Simmons, C., & Martiny, C. (2024). Networks of Dissuasion. Institute for Strategic Dialogue. https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Networks-of-Dissuasion-Mapping-Online-Attacks-on-Reproductive-Rights-in-FR.pdf

Chicago

Simmons, Cécile, and Clara Martiny. Networks of Dissuasion. Institute for Strategic Dialogue, 2024. https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Networks-of-Dissuasion-Mapping-Online-Attacks-on-Reproductive-Rights-in-FR.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Simmons |first1=Cécile |last2=Martiny |first2=Clara |title=Networks of Dissuasion |publisher=Institute for Strategic Dialogue |date=2024 |url=https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Networks-of-Dissuasion-Mapping-Online-Attacks-on-Reproductive-Rights-in-FR.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{simmons2024networks, author = {Simmons, Cécile and Martiny, Clara}, title = {{Networks of Dissuasion}}, institution = {Institute for Strategic Dialogue}, year = {2024}, url = {https://www.isdglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Networks-of-Dissuasion-Mapping-Online-Attacks-on-Reproductive-Rights-in-FR.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }