Calls for tech companies to take a stance against the use of online data to accuse people who demand or provide abortion services after the US Supreme Court struck down a Rowe v Wade ruling last week, it announced. while stating that the nearly half-century-old constitutional right to abortion no longer exists.
Abortion rights and civil liberties advocates have reportedly expressed concern that there are some federal restrictions on the data that tech companies are allowed to collect and store, making it difficult for law enforcement to access a person’s whereabouts, Internet searches and potentially Access to substandard information becomes easier. communication history.
In states with tighter abortion restrictions, such information has reportedly been used to prosecute people for abortion and termination of pregnancy. In one instance, a woman’s online search for abortion drugs was used against her in court.
Senator Elizabeth Warren said: “We have to stop this notion of tracking women’s health histories, tracking women’s local data, so that extremist states can track these women and allow them to make their own medical decisions.” to prosecute.”
However, so far, none of the major digital companies have publicly stated how they will handle such data and how they will meet future law enforcement requests, despite growing calls for it.
Amid concerns regarding tracking, many American women have decided to ditch period-tracking apps.
“At this horrifying moment, we hear the anger and concern pouring in from our American community. We are committed to protecting your reproductive health data,” period tracking app Clue said in a statement.
Last month, a group of Democrats led by Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon and Representative Anna Esshu of California wrote to Google, expressing concern that its current practice of collecting and maintaining comprehensive records of cell phone location data makes it far-fetched. The drawer will allow it to become a tool for extremists wanting to crack down on people seeking reproductive health care.
This is due to the fact that Google keeps past location data on hundreds of millions of smartphone users, which it regularly shares with government officials.
Study the matter
Two important matters should be highlighted here. of Purvi Patel and Lattice Fischer.
Patel was sentenced to 20 years in prison after an alleged self-induced abortion was charged with feticide and neglect of a child. She admitted to having a miscarriage that resulted in a stillbirth to medical professionals in an Indiana emergency room.
But text messages between Patel and a friend, in which they discussed obtaining prescription drugs to cause abortions, were used as evidence by the prosecution against them.
Patel was, however, released from prison when his sentence was reduced in 2016 by an appeals court, which found that the law was not used against women seeking abortions on their own.
In the second case, she was charged with second-degree murder by a Mississippi grand jury in 2018 after giving birth to what Fisher’s lawyers claimed was a stillborn child.
According to accounts at the time, prosecutors used Fisher’s search history as evidence against her, including searches for abortion drugs and the cause of abortion. The district attorney later withdrew the charge.
what will happen next
It is understood that online platforms are in a difficult position as a result of the Supreme Court’s latest decision banning abortion. Major tech companies have expressed their opinions on political issues that reflect their values, such as supporting special privacy laws and immigration reforms that will protect their workforces, but engaging in topics as divisive as abortion rights. This can result in harsh criticism from both sides. argument.
Now, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a digital rights advocacy group, is urging tech companies to prepare for a future in which by issuing subpoenas and warrants requesting user data to prosecute abortion seekers and providers. go.
It advises businesses to provide pseudonymous or anonymous access, turn off behavior tracking, and keep data as little as possible. It is also recommended to avoid end-to-end encryption and any location data collection by default.
Additionally, the use of advanced data protection procedures, such as deactivating encrypted messaging and location tracking, is also being encouraged by experts for abortion seekers.
However, calls for a federal data privacy law likely to be overturned have increased since the draft decision was initially leaked earlier this year. Senator Warren and other lawmakers last week introduced a bill that would prohibit “data brokers” from selling or transferring location data and health data.
The Democratic senator said in a statement: “Data brokers profit from the location data of millions of people, putting Americans at serious risk everywhere by selling their most private information.”
“With this extremist Supreme Court seeking to criminalize essential healthcare, Roe v Wade and states, it is more important than ever for Congress to protect consumers’ sensitive data,” he said.
read all breaking news , today’s fresh news watch top videos And live TV Here.