The French National Assembly has approved a plan to outlaw abortion information websites that masquerade as neutral, official services with freephone helpline numbers but promote anti-abortion propaganda and pressure women not to terminate pregnancies. The Socialist government’s proposal seeks to criminalise any websites that deliberately mislead,
intimidate or “exert psychological or moral pressure” on a woman seeking information about terminating a pregnancy, with punishment of up to two years in prison and a €30,000 fine. It will now need to pass through the French senate. The issue has sparked a row in recent days, with a Catholic archbishop writing to François Hollande, the president, warning of a threat to freedom of expression. READ MORE