Shortly after the Roe v. Wade ruling was overturned, women worried that data from period-tracking apps could lead to prosecutions for having abortions. Women and people with wombs now have to consider what they write in online chat her logs, direct her messages and search bar.
Period Apps in a Post-Roe World: What You Need to Know
report from insider(opens in new tab) be careful pro publica(opens in new tab) At least nine online pharmacies that sell abortion pills — Abortion Ease, BestAbortionPill.com, PrivacyPillRX, PillsOnlineRX, Secure Abortion Pills, AbortionRx, Generic Abortion Pills, Abortion Privacy, and Online Abortion Pill Rx — may store information such as your web address. I found that you shared the . , relative location, and search data on third-party sites such as Google. This type of exchange increases the chances of that data being discovered as part of a law enforcement request.
But demands from law enforcement are nothing new.
insider Refers to the case of Jessica Burgess(opens in new tab)She is accused of helping her daughter perform an illegal abortion in her home state of Nebraska.Key evidence in lawsuit against Burgess was chat logs(opens in new tab) Provided to law enforcement by Meta, who discusses finding abortion pills on Facebook.Evidence requested Before The Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade case.
Social media companies are often legally obligated to respond to law enforcement requests for user data. Unlike public user content that anyone can see and can use in court, private user content such as location, searches, and message history must be obtained via a warrant. As of June 2022,(opens in new tab) Meta says it has received over 200,000 requests for information and responds approximately 76% of the time.
In 2022, Google announced that it will automatically delete the location history of users who visit abortion clinics. Google says it “opposes overly broad or legally unfavorable claims” regarding its use of data as evidence, but as Mashable’s Alex Perry points out, this There is plenty of room left in the statement.
But Eric Goldman, a law professor at the University of Santa Clara School of Law, said: insider Social media is simply a “pawn” in the larger game of law enforcement prosecuting women who have abortions.
So how do you minimize risk?know most of what you say online can Used against you for prosecutions of abortions in states where abortion is illegal. Talk directly to someone you trust, not by phone, text, or social media. In the meantime, here’s how to donate to the National Abortion Fund and Reproductive Justice Network.
