Friends,
I want to share a new op-ed that I wrote for Elle Magazine last week as the Supreme Court heard arguments from the groups pushing to limit access to mifepristone, a commonly used abortion pill that’s been FDA-approved for decades.
In it, I talk about the need for comprehensive data privacy legislation to protect our personal health data, particularly when it comes to reproductive tracking and health care. Click here to read the whole thing.
Right now, most state laws target abortion providers or people assisting people seeking abortion. But with the MAGA mission to end all abortions in our country, it’s only a matter of time until laws start targeting abortion-seekers themselves.
Our vulnerable consumer data will be one of the best ways MAGA Republicans have to investigate and prosecute people seeking abortions – as well as those trying to help them. And that’s because there are almost no federal protections for reproductive health data in the consumer marketplace. It’s not even protected by HIPAA!
Our data – whether it’s from period and fertility tracking apps, ride-sharing apps, search and browsing history, or simply location data – can be sold and shared without our consent, and used against us.
I introduced the My Body, My Data Act to create a new national standard to protect our reproductive and sexual health data. Under my bill, companies can only collect and retain information that is strictly needed to provide their services, they can’t sell or share it, and a user can ask for their data to be deleted at any time.
Just like we shop online, buy groceries online, and communicate with friends and family online, the next generation of abortion battles will be fought online. We need to get ahead of it, so I’m taking proactive steps to protect reproductive freedoms for the future.
My opponent envisions a different future. He wants to ban abortion in all circumstances – even here in California.
Like any good Trump acolyte, he’s running on a true MAGA platform, from denying the reality of climate change to opposing LGBTQ+ rights to – of course – limiting any and all control we have over our own reproductive decisions.
I’m doing everything I can to defeat my anti-abortion MAGA opponent. But if we’re going to stop Trumpism in its tracks, we need to deliver resounding victories for pro-choice Democrats all around the country – and we need to flip the House so we can pass legislation that protects abortion access and secures data privacy.
If you’re with me, I hope you’ll consider pitching in $5 or more today to help get this done.
Thank you for your support!
-Sara
