Google adverts direct pregnant women to services run by UK anti-abortion groups

Women seeking online advice about abortions are being directed to pregnancy counselling services run by anti-abortion campaigners, an Observer investigation has found.

Google adverts that are styled to look like real search results and appear above genuine listings are routinely being shown to people searching key terms relating to pregnancy and abortion.

The helpline has recently reported a spike in the number of people contacting it, saying it had 2,000 clients in 2022 compared with 500 in 2021.

Other adverts that appear on UK Google searches relating to pregnancy and abortion came from regulated abortion providers, including MSI Reproductive Choices and the British Pregnancy Advisory Service.

They appeared alongside adverts placed by anti-abortion charities in the UK and US that do not run counselling services and instead direct people to webpages about the ethics of abortion. The Observer understands that they do not always pay for their adverts because of a Google scheme that means organisations with charity status can be granted free advertising credits.