Hi Friend –

There was a big announcement from Google this week: After more than a year of advocacy led by Accountable Tech, the company just promised a major change to better secure Location History Data. [1]

This means that Google will no longer retain sensitive Location History data that could be used by right-wing states to prosecute people seeking – or assisting – abortion care.

This is a big win. Strong encryption is critical for digital privacy and security, and it’s a step in the right direction for Google to secure user location data. Join us in celebrating the news:

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Let’s rewind a bit. For over a year, we’ve been calling out Google for failing to live up to their promise to delete sensitive location data to protect people seeking abortion care. Here’s how we did it:

• July 2022: Google announced a new policy to delete the Location History of visits to abortion clinics, stating that the change will “take effect in the coming weeks.” [2]

• November 2022: Our research found that Google was still collecting and retaining this sensitive data for visits to abortion clinics. [3]

• May 2023: We hosted a #HeyGoogle day of action with partners and celebrities to call out the company for failing to protect the privacy of abortion seekers. [4]

• May 2023: We flew a plane over the annual Google I/O conference during their CEO Sundar Pichai’s speech to urge the company to protect abortion privacy. [5] Two days later, Google published a “clarification” to their policy, which only led to more questions from ten U.S. Senators.

• December 2023: Google *finally* decided to secure Location History.

Friend, we took on Big Tech and won greater privacy protections from one of the largest collectors of location data in the world. We know Google – and other Big Tech companies – have more than enough resources to make these changes happen. And as an 11-person nonprofit backed by thousands of supporters like you, we’re making an impact.

Chip in today so we can hold these companies to account, and ensure they’re living up to their own commitments of creating a safer digital world for us all. Sure as heck, we’re going to continue to test Google’s updated policy to ensure they’re following through.

We couldn’t have done this without you. Our collective efforts made a difference. Thank you.

Onward,

Nicole Gill
Co-founder and Executive Director
Accountable Tech

We see the irony of asking you to take action on the same platforms we’re fighting to hold accountable, but they are… well… dominant. We have to reach people where they are in order to level the playing field -- and we’re ready to bring the fight right to their own platforms.

Chip in to support our work holding Big Tech accountable: CHIP IN

1. Google: Updates to Location History and new controls coming soon to Maps

2. Google: Protecting people’s privacy on health topics

3. The Guardian: Googling abortion? Your details aren’t as private as you think

4. Heygoogle.info: https://heygoogle.info/
   

5. PCMag: Plane Towing Protest Banner Tries to Crash Google I/O

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