Hold Free Birth Society Accountable for Dangerous Birth Misinformation

Recent signers:
Robyn Bay and 14 others have signed recently.

The Issue

We are calling on Instagram to review and take action on the account of Free Birth Society, which promotes unassisted childbirth (“freebirth”) while charging money for courses and coaching. Investigative reporting, including The Guardian’s The Birth Keepers podcast, has raised serious concerns about the impact of this content. These reports link communities influenced by this messaging to cases of preventable harm and infant deaths. Some content discourages seeking medical care and presents high-risk births as safe without clear, evidence-based context. There are also multiple user reports and personal experiences of critical comments being deleted or users being blocked after raising concerns. This can create the impression of overwhelming support while limiting open discussion about risks. When health related advice is monetized, platforms have a responsibility to ensure it is not misleading or dangerous. We urge Instagram to review and restrict this account if it violates policies on harmful health misinformation. This is about protecting parents and babies, not silencing personal choice. We ask Instagram to act.

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Recent signers:
Robyn Bay and 14 others have signed recently.

The Issue

We are calling on Instagram to review and take action on the account of Free Birth Society, which promotes unassisted childbirth (“freebirth”) while charging money for courses and coaching. Investigative reporting, including The Guardian’s The Birth Keepers podcast, has raised serious concerns about the impact of this content. These reports link communities influenced by this messaging to cases of preventable harm and infant deaths. Some content discourages seeking medical care and presents high-risk births as safe without clear, evidence-based context. There are also multiple user reports and personal experiences of critical comments being deleted or users being blocked after raising concerns. This can create the impression of overwhelming support while limiting open discussion about risks. When health related advice is monetized, platforms have a responsibility to ensure it is not misleading or dangerous. We urge Instagram to review and restrict this account if it violates policies on harmful health misinformation. This is about protecting parents and babies, not silencing personal choice. We ask Instagram to act.

The Decision Makers

Petition Updates