Friend,
A year and a half post-Roe, ad tech companies are still spying on abortion seekers on abortion scheduling and advocacy websites. From Google to Meta, big tech firms pay lip service to reproductive rights, but continue to profit off abortion patient data by selling it to crisis pregnancy centers and other anti-abortion organizations. S.T.O.P.’s latest research report, Anti-Abortion Ad Tech, details this near ubiquitous ad tech surveillance and how it puts patients and providers at risk.
We show that ad trackers, many found on leading abortion websites, collect highly sensitive patient data that could easily be purchased or seized by police using a warrant. However, we emphasize that amid these concerns, the gravest threat to most abortion seekers is forgoing the procedure. The risk ad trackers pose to individuals remains relatively low and should not deter pregnant people from getting the care they need. But they are a ticking time bomb that lawmakers and companies must address to protect patient and provider data.
We’ve heard enough hollow promises from lawmakers and Silicon Valley. As attacks on reproductive health intensify, including this week’s appalling ruling on IVF in Alabama, state legislators must act immediately to prevent the commercialization of abortion health data.
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In Solidarity,
Corinne Worthington
Research & Advocacy Manager
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