U.S (UltraViolet) : It's no one's business if we seek an abortion ! SIGN.

 

 

 

Dear friend, 

 

Despite Google's past commitment to delete phone and browser location history for people visiting abortion clinics, the company continues to collect and retain this data, along with location search queries for abortion clinics.¹

At a time when pregnant people are actually facing criminal charges for having an abortion, we can't imagine anything more callous.² Google must stop collecting this data immediately!

Right now, if you search for an abortion clinic on Google Maps, that data is collected and retained for 18 months by default. This stored data can be sold to data brokers, who can then legally share it with local law enforcement, endangering users in states where abortion care is heavily restricted or illegal. This practice threatens the privacy and autonomy of those seeking abortion care or assisting others who need it.

Our digital footprints are being weaponized by right-wing state governments to prosecute those seeking reproductive health care. It is deeply problematic that Google facilitates the collection and retention of such sensitive location data. 

Sign the petition to demand that Google stop collecting location data and aiding abortion prosecutors !

Sign the petition

Even before Roe v. Wade was overturned last year, anti-abortion prosecutors had used Google data to arrest women who'd sought abortions and later miscarried or delivered a stillborn.³ Of course, these prosecutions have spiked since federal protections for abortion were overturned by the Supreme Court.⁴

In addition to risking the lives and livelihoods of people who seek abortions, states such as Oklahoma and Texas have so-called bounty laws that financially reward informants on abortion providers.⁵ Google's accessibility to search and location data for abortion clinics is furthering the anti-abortion political agenda. 

Tell Google to end this fascism and immediately delete the search and location data of people seeking abortions!  

Thank you for taking urgent action with us !

 

 

Jaya, Katie, Elisa, Shaunna, Kimmie, Sonja, Kathy, Melody, Lindsay, Kimberly, Maria, KaeLyn, KD, Iris, Bridget, Katie, Isatou, Meena, Toni, Nicole, and Luna, the UltraViolet team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources :

 

 

 

1. Post-Roe, Google's Data Collection and Policies Could Endanger Those Seeking Abortions, Accountable Tech, accessed April 20, 2023

 

2. With Roe v. Wade Overturned, Your Abortion Searches Could Be Used to Prosecute You, CNET, June 26, 2022

 

3. Ibid.

 

4. Texas Man Sues 3 Women Over Wife's Abortion, Forbes, March 10, 2023

 

5. Ibid.

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