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GoFundMe raises money for killers, but not for abortions

GoFundMe raises money for killers, but not for abortions

Crowdfunding site GoFundMe has updated its guidelines in the wake of a 23-year-old American woman attempting to use its platform to raise money for an abortion.

Earlier this week GoFundMe shut down a fundraising page called "Bailey's abortion fund", which was set up by Bailey and a friend. On the now-deleted page it explained Bailey was "unemployed, completely broke, in debt, and in no position to hold down a job due to severe symptoms of a rough, unplanned and unexpected pregnancy".

Despite previously hosting several controversial campaigns, including one to raise funds for the police officer accused of shooting unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, and a (now deleted) page to support Raffaele Sollecito, the man convicted of the 2007 murder of student Meredith Kercher, it was the furore over Bailey's page that apparently prompted the swift update of GoFundMe's terms and conditions.

Shortly after shutting down Bailey's page, the site announced a change to its guidelines on its blog. GoFundMe now bans abortion, as well as pages which attempt to raise money for cosmetic surgery, crime, pornography and sorcery, unexplained sciences or absurd claims.

i100 has contacted GoFundMe for comment on the matter.

More: Go Fund Me's new guidelines

H/TThe Washington Post

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