Even animals have the freedom to terminate a pregnancy when conditions aren’t compatible with survival and the specious argument that humans are separate from and superior to beasts is how we ended up in this global climate catastrophe so fuck off with that.
“News coverage of digital forensics often celebrates its role in prosecuting serious felonies. But when it comes to reproductive rights, Conti-Cook says, the same tools “will be a powerful [asset] to police and prosecutors in a more criminalized landscape” for abortion seekers.” [Mother Jones]
“Unlike medical records held by doctors and hospitals, the information collected by health-focused apps isn’t covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a 1996 federal law that limits where healthcare providers can share your health information.
That means health app makers are mostly free to do what they want with the data they collect. […]
What’s more, even when your data is de-identified by removing identifiable information such as your name or email address, it can be combined with other information—such as your location, contacts, or unique identifiers in your phone—and traced back to you, research suggests.” [Consumer Reports]
Twitter thread from user @nandoodles about men in adtech who want to sell your period app data to law enforcement:
If you don’t think these people won’t use your data against you, I advise you to reconsider in light of Texas’s offering bounties. And that there’s other states considering offering bounties and vigilantism as well.
I’m sorry, this is not fair and I know it’s a pain in the ass to have to note all your info yourself in a journal, but it’s better to NOT give these people another tool to exert control over the bodies of people possessing the potential (regardless of how remote) for pregnancy.
Anyone using a period tracker app needs to very strongly consider deleting it. Not now, but RIGHT NOW!
Your personal data that is being collected can and has already been mined and sold to marketing firms and law enforcement. You don’t need to be Margaret Atwood to imagine who your private information might be sold to, or what period-tracking data might be used for in a Republican state, or in a conservative court of law.
I really hate to sound alarmist, but this is Christofascist America in 2022, please protect yourself and act accordingly.
