Roadblocks To Care

*|MC:SUBJECT|*

Friend,

The road to reproductive and gender-affirming care is more surveilled than ever, as states like Idaho criminalize out of state travel for abortion care. In S.T.O.P.’s latest report, Roadblock To Care, we show how law enforcement can use travel surveillance infrastructure to attack bodily autonomy and evidence-based medical treatment.

Before Dobbs, S.T.O.P. warned that police could leverage commercially available health data and other invasive monitoring to prosecute abortion seekers within states within their own borders. Now these attacks on abortion access and gender affirming care are poised to follow Americans across state lines. Alarmingly, the digital dragnet even extends to private cars, as onboard computers and roadside license plate readers turn our cars into tracking devices.

We detail how travelers can minimize tracking and how lawmakers can maximize privacy protections. Pro-choice states and gender-affirming care sanctuaries haven’t done nearly enough to protect people seeking care within their borders. Even worse, states like New York lawmakers are even considering legislation that would further expand digital surveillance of trans youth. It’s time for lawmakers to recognize that travel surveillance and so many other forms of digital tracking pose a potent threat to those seeking safety and care within our borders.

In solidarity,
Albert Fox Cahn
Executive Director

Forward

Newslettercommunications staffAugust 1, 2023