Why is this important?
Google, the biggest search service in the world, collects an enormous amount of information about where people go online and what they search for. Through geofence warrants, this type of information can be used by state governments and police looking to prosecute people who seek reproductive healthcare. Google must take action to protect people seeking reproductive healthcare by immediately stopping the collection and retention of individual location data.
On Friday, June 24th 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.1 This could put over half of Americans in states where abortion care is illegal.2 Many if not most of those people will turn to the internet to find care in nearby states. This means that protecting digital data privacy is incredibly important in a post-Roe world.
Google, the biggest search service in the world, collects an enormous amount of information about where people go online and what they search for. Through geofence warrants, location data can be used by state governments and police looking to prosecute people who seek reproductive healthcare.3 Google should not let their services become a tool that puts anyone at risk for prosecution for taking control of their bodily autonomy.
As long as the internet is owned and governed by private companies, we'll have to fight on their terms to protect ourselves and our data privacy. By taking action now, we are working towards a world where we have control over our data privacy.
Sign the petition to Google: Protect users seeking reproductive healthcare by immediately stopping the collection and retention of individual location data.
Sources:
1. “Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade; states can ban abortion,” Associated Press, 24 June, 2022.
2. “Half of U.S. Women Risk Losing Abortion Access Without Roe,” The New York Times, 7 May, 2022.
3. “Google Urged to Stop Collecting Location Data That Can ID Those Seeking Abortions,” CNET, May 24, 2022.
