Hulu blocks ads on abortion, guns, and climate change — and Dems aren’t happy

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Climate change, gun control, and abortion rights are some of the issues Democrats are campaigning on. The Washington Post reported on Monday that the popular streaming service has repeatedly rejected Democratic ads that focused on the campaign issues.

A group of Democratic campaign organizations attempted to purchase a joint ad on abortion and gun control on the Disney-backed Hulu platform along with other digital buys on July 15th. The ad ran on other platforms, but it wasn't accepted by Hulu. The groups have not been told if the ad will run.

In a joint statement, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and Democratic Governors Association said, "Hulu's censoring of the truth is outrageous, offensive, and another step down a dangerous path for our country."

Groups asked for clarification after the ad went live. The ad was rejected due to "content related" issues. The reps declined more clarifying calls from the committees before a rep sent an email saying that the ad was accepted. It was sent in error hours after it was received.

There isn't a clear answer as to why the ads were rejected. Their ad is the latest in a growing list of sensitive ads that have been aired by Democrats in recent weeks.

A request for comment from the company was not responded to.

Republicans have been campaigning against Disney in recent months. The company, which operates hugely profitable theme parks in Florida, became a GOP target after the CEO denounced the state's "Don't Say Gay" bill. Primary school teachers couldn't engage students in discussion about sexual orientation and gender identity.

The Communications Act of 1934 does not require that politicians have equal access to the air. Its decision to block important Democratic issue ads divides it from other online platforms and streaming services, which accepted the Democratic group's ads and other ads in the past.

The campaign of a Democratic congressional candidate in New York was told by a company rep to remove references to abortion, climate change, and gun reform before an ad could run on the platform. There are a number of pro-abortion rights campaign ads that have been blocked by the streaming service.

The Democratic groups said in a statement on Monday that voters have the right to know the facts about the Republican agenda on issues like abortion.

It is not clear if the overall ad policy puts Democratic candidates at a disadvantage. A Democratic strategist said on Monday that a major streaming service is censoring Democrats from talking about Republican attacks. One of the most effective ways to advertise to young voters is through Hulu. By blocking ads on issues like climate change and abortion, Hulu is effectively censoring Democrats from engaging a huge swath of voters on the most important issues facing our country.