Russia's Matviyenko wants pro-family centres to top abortion search results

Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko has called for search engine algorithms to be changed so that searches for abortion information return family support centres before clinics. The proposal is part of Russia's broader push to limit access to abortion services.

Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko has proposed that search engines operating in Russia be required to modify their algorithms so that queries about abortions prioritise links to family support and crisis pregnancy centres over medical clinics offering the procedure.

Matviyenko argued that women seeking information about terminating a pregnancy should first be directed toward state-backed family assistance resources, with links to abortion providers appearing only further down the search results. The proposal reflects a growing trend in Russian legislative circles to use digital infrastructure as a tool for shaping social behaviour.

The suggestion comes amid a sustained campaign by Russian authorities to reduce the number of abortions in the country. Regional governors and lawmakers have in recent years introduced a range of measures, including restricting private clinics from performing abortions and launching so-called "pre-abortion consultations" intended to dissuade women from proceeding with the procedure.

Critics of such measures, including women's rights advocates, have described the approach as state interference in personal medical decisions, warning that limiting access to information online could drive women toward unsafe alternatives rather than professional healthcare. Access to reproductive health services in Russia has been gradually narrowing under government pressure, with several regions having already moved to ban abortion services in private clinics.