S.T.O.P. Welcomes House Investigation of Period Trackers, Data Brokers

*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

View this email in your browser For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Welcomes House Investigation of Period Trackers, Data Brokers (New York, NY, 7/8/2022) - Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy and civil rights group, welcomes the House Oversight Committee’s investigation of period tracking apps and data brokers. The investigation comes after Motherboard reported they were able to purchase a week’s worth of data on Planned Parenthood abortion clinic visitors for $160 from a data broker. The civil rights group renewed its call on period tracking apps, other health technology providers, and medical institutions to minimize data collection, particularly information that could be used to prosecute pregnant people and abortion seekers following the repeal of Roe v. Wade. SEE: Motherboard - Congress to Investigate Data Brokers and Period Tracking Apps https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7geb4/congress-to-investigate-data-brokers-and-period-tracking-apps CNN Business - Period-tracking apps are trying to make women feel safer about their data after the end of Roe v. Wade https://edition.cnn.com/2022/07/08/tech/period-tracking-apps-data-privacy/index.html “Pregnant people shouldn’t have to fear that their phones are spying on them,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “Data from period trackers, social media, and other health apps will likely become central to how police search for pregnant people. Companies shouldn’t be able to profit from violating users’ trust and selling out their information to police. This sort of tracking has gone on far too long, and it’s past time that Congress and state lawmakers act.” In May, S.T.O.P. released Pregnancy Panopticon: Abortion Surveillance After Roe, detailing the threat digital surveillance poses to abortion seekers after the repeal of Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. S.T.O.P. also welcomed a letter from 40 Democratic senators and representatives calling on Google to delete individualized location data that police can use to enforce abortion bans. SEE: Report – Pregnancy Panopticon: Abortion Surveillance After Roe https://www.stopspying.org/pregnancy-panopticon Press Release - S.T.O.P. Welcomes Congressional Call For Google To Delete Location Data https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2022/5/24/stop-welcomes-congressional-call-for-google-to-delete-location-data The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color. -- END -- CONTACT: S.T.O.P. Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn Copyright © 2021 Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.