Meta Bans 'Pregnancy' Word in Ads

In January 2025, Meta's Instagram platform notified BellaMoon founder Irene Breen that ads for her pregnancy pillow company were being removed due to the use of the word "pregnancy." Breen reported that she had to revise her product's name and associated URLs. This resulted in a 10-month period of restricted advertising.

Meta stated that while ads for wellness and reproductive products are permitted, certain restrictions are in place to ensure a positive user experience across diverse cultures. A Meta spokesperson clarified that the word "pregnancy" itself is not banned from use on their platforms. However, businesses focusing on women's health and sexuality have frequently encountered ad rejections. For instance, sexual wellness brand Unbound found success by making ads more male-centric, and Daye reported its ads were rejected as "adult content."

In 2026, LGBTQ and plus-sized businesses reported Meta removing their accounts, often without clear violations, and experiencing difficulties in appealing these decisions. Furthermore, Meta faced criticism from feminist groups for censoring posts related to the Cornell rape case. Separately, an AI tool mistakenly identified activity on the No Kings Coalition's Instagram account as bot traffic on the day of a protest in October, leading to a suspension for which Meta later apologized.