South Carolina lawmakers want to banish abortion talk from the Internet

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While YouTube has started deleting videos promoting false information on abortion, the South Carolina Senate introduced a new bill that strives to block Internet users from talking about abortion truthfully online.

Known as the "Equal Protection at Conception—No Exceptions—Act," the bill would ban any website from hosting or publishing any information about accessing or self-inducing abortion "knowing that the information will be used, or is reasonably likely to be used, for an abortion."

Specifically, the bill restricts "providing information to a pregnant woman, or someone seeking information on behalf of a pregnant woman, by telephone, Internet, or any other mode of communication." That includes restrictions against providing abortion referral services, including to doulas performing abortions, as well as hosting or maintaining a website that's "purposefully directed to a pregnant woman" living in South Carolina. Less specifically, the bill notes that further restrictions will apply once the law becomes enforced.