Google to clearly label U.S. medical facilities that provide abortion

[August 26, 2022] (Reuters) - Google will clearly label medical facilities in the United States that provide abortions in its search results and in Google Maps to avoid confusing them with anti-abortion centers, its top executive informed lawmakers on Thursday.

When users search for "abortion clinics near me", the results box will display facilities verified to provide abortions, said Mark Isakowitz, vice president for government affairs and public policy for US and Canada at Google, in a letter to Senator Mark Warner and Representative Elissa Slotkin. (https://bit.ly/3CFFQoO)

The tech giant will also allow people to broaden their search to show other relevant listings, including from organizations that do not provide abortions, Isakowitz said.

Google's response follows a letter dated June 17 from Warner and Slotkin urging Alphabet Inc Chief Executive Sundar Pichai to prevent misleading Google search results that directed users to anti-abortion centers.

The Google Maps app logo is seen on a smartphone in this picture illustration taken September 15, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

About half of U.S. states have or are expected to seek to ban or curtail abortions following Roe's reversal. The states, which include Idaho, Texas and 11 others, have adopted "trigger" laws banning abortion upon such a decision.

(Reporting by Leroy Leo in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)

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