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Following last month’s Supreme Court ruling protecting the legal right to abortion, Roe v. After reversing Wade, many began to see in the early 1970s what life would look like without the long-standing precedent.
But access to abortion is very different in 2022, thanks in large part to technological innovations, including a safer drug used to induce abortion.
There are also new digital tools that can connect people with medical providers, friends and other resources, making it much easier to find information about accessing abortion.
With the historic verdict reversed, many are demanding for the first time Can the digital devices they use put them or their loved ones at risk, US and most states since Lack of digital privacy laws In order to protect consumer information, it is often up to companies and consumers to protect their privacy online.
To learn about how digital tools collect data, how prosecutors can use such information in cases related to abortion and pregnancy, and how consumers can become more aware of the data they share Here’s why.
How digital tools collect and use your data
Digital devices may collect your data in a variety of ways that can usually be found in their privacy policies. These often dense legal documents will tell you what kind of data a device will collect on you (name, email, location, and so on) and how it will be used.
Consumers may look for terms such as “sell” and “affiliate” to understand how and why their information may be shared with other services they may be using directly, such as The Washington Post recently suggested in a guide these documents.
Some web pages may track your actions on the Internet using cookies, or small snippets of code that help advertisers target you with information based on your past activity.
Apps on your phone may also collect location information based on whether you’ve allowed them in your settings.
How to protect your information
The best way to keep any type of information secure on the Internet is to minimize the amount that is out there. Some providers have taken recent steps to help consumers reduce their digital footprint when it comes to reproductive health care.
Google said last week Work to quickly remove location information for users visiting abortion clinics or other medical sites, It will also make it easier for users to delete multiple logs of menstrual data from their Fitbit app.
Period-tracking app Flow recently added an anonymous mode that lets users log their menstrual cycles without providing their names or contact information.
But it is largely up to consumers to keep their information secure. Here are some ways users can protect the information they share online, whether it’s health care-related or not, based on tips from digital privacy experts like Electronic Frontier Foundation And digital defense fund,
- use one encrypted messaging app Such as Signal to communicate about sensitive topics and set messages to erase themselves after a set period. This means bringing other people in your network to the same app.
Enabling missing messages on an encrypted messaging app like Signal can help keep your conversations secure.
Lauren Feiner | screenshot
- close or limit location services Only for apps on your phone that are needed when using it.
- If you are going to a sensitive place, Consider turning off your phone or leaving it at home,
- When searching online for sensitive topics, Use search engines and browsers that minimize data collectionLike DuckDuckGo, Firefox or Brave.
- use private browsing tab Therefore your website history will not be saved automatically.
- use virtual Private Network To hide the IP address of your device.
- Disable your mobile advertising identifier Which can be used by third party marketers to track and profile you. EFF is step by step instructions Here’s how to do it on Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS.
Turn off app tracking on iOS for added privacy.
Lauren Feiner | screenshot
- decide Secondary email and phone numberLike through Google Voice, for sensitive topics.
How data can be used in court
The risks of digital devices being used by prosecutors in cases involving miscarriage or pregnancy loss are not theoretical.
least Two high-profile cases in recent yearsProsecutors have pointed to Internet searches for abortion pills and digital messages among loved ones to illustrate the intent of women who were accused of harming children they claimed to have miscarried. .
Those cases suggest that even devices that are not directly related to reproductive health care, such as period-tracking apps, can become evidence in the case of miscarriage or pregnancy loss.
It is also important to be aware that law enforcement may try to obtain your information without access to your devices. Prosecutors may seek a court order for companies whose services you use or loved ones you have communicated with to learn about your digital whereabouts if they become the subject of a legal case.
See: Roe vs. Wade. Tech companies and execs weigh in on the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse