Online data could now be used against people seeking abortions. In overturning Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision Dobbs in only not deprives women of reproductive control and physical activity as a matter of constitutional law, it also changes their relationship with the online world. Anyone in a state where abortion is now illegal who relies on the internet for information, products, and services related to reproductive health is subject to online policing.
All women of reproductive age, regardless of how safe and privileged they may have imagined themselves to be, are now among the marginalized and vulnerable populations whose privacy is at risk.
Google , social media, and internet data in general can be used for surveillance by law enforcement to transmit digital traces . Women are at risk not only from what they reveal about their reproductive status on social media, but also from data from their health applications that could incriminate them if subpoenaed.
Who is being monitored and how?
The people most vulnerable to online and the use or misuse of their data are traditionally those whom society deems least worthy of protection: people without means, power, or social standing. Surveillance directed at marginalized individuals reflects not only a lack of concern for their protection, but also the presumption that, because of their social identity, they are more likely to commit crimes or transgress in ways that might justify proactive policing.
Many marginalized individuals happen to be women, including low-income mothers, for whom the simple act of applying for public assistance can subject them to presumptions of exclamatory intent. These presumptions are often used to justify invasions of their privacy. Now, with anti-abortion legislation sweeping Republican-controlled states and poised to take effect with the end of Roe v. Wade, all women of childbearing age in those states are likely to be subject to these same presumptions.
Scholars have been sounding the alarm for years, arguing that surveillance activities and the lack of privacy that threatens the most vulnerable are ultimately a threat to everyone. This is because the number of people at risk can increase when political forces identify a broader population as threats that justify surveillance.
The lack of action on privacy vulnerabilities is partly due to a failure of imagination, which often leads to people seeing their place as largely secure in a social and political system.
It’s hard to talk about silver linings, but as these online dangers spread to a wider population, the importance of online safety will become a primary concern. Online safety includes being mindful of your digital footprint and using anonymous browsers. Perhaps the general population, at least in states that enact or enforce abortion bans, will understand that data Google
