Source: The New York Times
On Friday, May 27, a group of Senate Democrats sent letters to tech companies Apple and Google regarding a crucial issue. They urged the tech and search giants to prohibit applications on their app stores from utilising data mining practices in order to target people looking for abortion services in the country.
Led by Senator Ed Markey (Mass.), the senators urged these companies to review and update policies for their app stores. Along with it, alter practices as required to address concerns related to enabling apps to use data mining. Mainly, it referred to data practices that may possibly ‘victimise’ people who are looking for, or have previously used abortion services.
The Democrats stated how their primary concern is that anti abortion prosecutors or other actors would possibly try accessing, and further leverage personal data. This data might include information on locations, health and biometrics, and online activity in ways that could be threatening to the ‘well being of those exercising their rights to choose.’
“data practices that may victimize individuals who seek or have sought abortion services.”
Moreover, the senators went on to specify that data related to fertility of app users, along with browser histories could prove to be increasingly sensitive to the safety of users. This is because such browser information could indicate users’ interest in contraception or location data indicating any user having visited a gynaecologist. Clearly, these could proved to be ‘data trove for actors’ with the intention of ‘targeting, intimidating, and harming’ people who seek abortion. Crucially, they could also have similar intentions for ones who would ‘simply take steps to promote their reproductive health.’
The letters sent to the tech companies from the Senate Democrats were also signed by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Cory Booker (D-N-J.). Moreover, spokespeople for both Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Apple Inc did not acknowledge any requests made for a comment on the situation.
Prior to these letters, one such letter was sent by over 40 Congressional Democrats to Google earlier this week. This letter from the Democrats urged the search giant to stop the collection and storing of location data of users. Mainly, this was over worries about prosecutors possibly getting hold of it, subsequently use of it to target individuals who are seeking or have sought abortion services.
