Okay, Google: To protect women, collect less data about everyone

Article Published: July 1, 2022

Written By: Geoffrey A. Fowler for The Washington Post

We the users want Google to delete our data. Our rights depend on it.

This is a moment I’ve long worried would arrive. The way tens of millions of Americans use everyday Google products has suddenly become dangerous. Following the Supreme Court decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, anything Google knows about you could be acquired by police in states where abortion is now illegal. A search for “Plan B,” a ping to Google Maps at an abortion clinic or even a message you send about taking a pregnancy test could all become criminal evidence.

There is something Google could do about this: Stop collecting — and start deleting — data that could be used to prosecute abortions. Yet so far, Google and other Big Tech companies have committed to few product changes that might endanger their ability to profit off our personal lives. Nor have they publicly committed to how they might fight legal demands related to prosecuting abortions.

So what are the most urgent kinds of data Google should stop collecting? I spoke to privacy advocates to start a list of demands.

“It is their responsibility as a company to keep people’s data secure — but as it currently stands, it shifts the work onto the user to figure out how to delete their data,” said Jelani Drew-Davi, campaigns director of Kairos, a left-leaning digital advocacy group.

Read full article here.

Roe Ruling Sparks Balancing Act on Privacy Legislation Approach

Article Published: June 29, 2022

Written By: Maria Curi for Bloomberg Government

Democrats and civil rights advocates are maneuvering on how to tie abortion rights to the protection of sensitive data—but not jeopardize Congress’s efforts to pass landmark bipartisan privacy legislation.

The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade thrust data protections into the limelight, as browsing histories, online medical records, and location data could be used to incriminate people seeking abortions. Some Democrats have sought to use the Supreme Court’s decision to fire up their base and get support for partisan data legislation—but others worry about torpedoing privacy negotiations in Congress that rely on Republican support.

It makes sense to tie Roe to privacy, and scaring abortion opponents away shouldn’t be Congress’s concern, said Jelani Drew-Davi, director of campaigns at Kairos. The grassroots organization focuses on the intersection of tech and equity.

“From our perspective, it’s not something we should be afraid to talk about,” Drew-Davi said. “Privacy is on voters’ minds, and it will become even more of a point with Roe.”

Read the full article here.

Could your online data be used to determine if you are looking for an abortion

Article Published: May 10, 2022

Written By: Brett Molina for USA TODAY

Some experts fear that those who seek abortions could be outed by tech companies to governments or law enforcement by handing over the troves of personal data they maintain upon request.

"With unintended consequences here, we're really looking at a situation where tech companies' very loose restrictions around collecting data and users' data privacy is really going to put people who are seeking abortions, or even seeking to learn more about abortions, at risk," said Mariana Ruiz Firmat, executive director at nonprofit organization Kairos, who uses the pronouns she/they. 

Ruiz Firmat said the discussion about Roe v. Wade is an important reminder to pay special attention to how online data is protected and shared.

"This is an opportunity for users to learn a lot more about data privacy," they said. "Read about it, learn about it before you agree to all those terms and conditions from the platform itself."

Read the full article here.