In 2021, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said that digital technologies serve to “advocate for, defend and exercise human rights.”In addition, with them, you can also”violate these rights, (…) for example, through measures of surveillance, repression, censorship, and online harassment, including against human rights defenders”. Governments and companies know this well and use them to censor and suppress vital information, for example, on the sexual and reproductive rights of girls, women, and other people with the capacity to become pregnant. This prevents millions worldwide from accessing essential healthcare and having complete control over their bodies.
Having access to accurate information about abortion on the Internet, including social media, is extremely important for reproductive autonomy. With it, people can know their rights and the available options, unwanted pregnancies are prevented, and the chances of having safe abortions improve. Through this education, harassment, stigmatization, and discrimination based on people’s reproductive decisions are also prevented, bodily autonomy is normalized, and the will of girls, women, and other people with the capacity to bear children is valued.
For digital spaces to be safe for the exercise of reproductive rights, reliable information on contraception, family planning, and safe abortion must be guaranteed. The protection of privacy and personal data and the security of communications are crucial in the exchange of information connected to reproductive health due to the criminalization associated with abortion.
Reproductive justice activists and groups around the world face challenges in digital spaces, from government censorship to content moderation, shadow banning, and the algorithms that promote misinformation and downranking or devaluation of critical content on sexual and reproductive health.
Despite attacks and censorship, with digital technologies, much progress has been made in access to sexual health and reproductive health rights. There are online reproductive health services, medical consultations, information on the delivery of contraceptives, and tests to detect sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and people who undergo medical abortions at home are even accompanied. These practices are very positive because they allow more people to access these services and mitigate some access barriers related to geographic location, immigration status, or socioeconomic situation.
Let’s listen to Gema Fernández, Managing Attorney of WLW in Europe, who explains the concept of reproductive freedom of expression.