California Cracks Down on Unlicensed Ultrasounds
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** CfA's June 28, 2024 Newsletter
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With your support, Campaign for Accountability is working to expose corruption and hold the powerful accountable.
** This Week's Updates:
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California AG Warns CPCs to Stop Performing Unlicensed Ultrasounds
On Tuesday, California Attorney General Robert Bonta sent ([link removed].) cease and desist letters to two anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs), which his office found to be performing ultrasounds on patients without proper licenses. CPCs typically exist in a regulatory gray area ([link removed]) , because they often do not employ real medical staff or offer paid services, and therefore don’t fall under HHS’ regulatory authority. In court, anti-abortion organizations defend their conduct as “freedom of speech,” and claim that laws limiting deceptive practices ([link removed]) are a
violation of their rights. At the state level, though, lawmakers have been able to enact regulations that emphasize patient safety; California’s law, for example, creates steep civil penalties for individuals that perform ultrasounds in unlicensed clinics. A CPC in Massachusetts is already being sued ([link removed]) for missing a woman’s life-threatening ectopic pregnancy, which led to her needing invasive surgery. According to her lawyers ([link removed]) , the ultrasound she received at the CPC was not performed by a licensed nurse – underscoring the importance of laws like California’s.
In April, CfA sent complaints ([link removed]) to the attorneys general of Idaho, Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington alleging that CPCs in their states had potentially violated consumer protection laws by telling clients their personal health information was protected under HIPAA, when it appears that it is not.
Meta Blames “Glitch” for Apparent Political Content Restrictions
On Wednesday, Meta briefly appeared to limit political content for all Instagram users, leaving them unable to change a preference that limits exposure to recommended posts featuring governments, elections, or social topics. Meta made this restriction active by default ([link removed]) for all Instagram and Threads users in March, but panic spread ([link removed]) on other social media platforms this week as users found they were unable to change the setting. Meta Communications Director Andy Stone quickly claimed ([link removed]) that this was an “error,” and that actual user preferences had not been reset. The timing of the incident also sparked concern
([link removed]) among journalists and political content creators, given that the presidential debate was scheduled to take place the next evening.
Even if Meta’s restrictions didn’t go into effect, the subsequent panic underscores the critical role its platforms play in political discourse. Disinformation influencers are still finding success ([link removed]) on Facebook, according a recent report by The New York Times, while millions of users rely on Instagram accounts ([link removed]) to get news about the war in Gaza. Instead of embracing this reality and uplifting reliable news sources, Meta has opted to throttle ([link removed]) external links, cutting off traffic to publishers while supercharging AI content farms ([link removed]) . Meta’s definition of political content also includes “social topics
that affect a group of people” – a remarkably vague category that raised alarms for advocates and appears to have impacted ([link removed]) content creators who discuss racial justice, LGBTQ issues, and disability rights. Meta has not clarified ([link removed]) any internal definition for “social topics,” beyond “content that identifies a problem that impacts people and is caused by the action or inaction of others ([link removed]) .”
Houston Chronicle Editorial Board Sounds Alarm on Crypto Energy Use
On Monday, the editorial board of Texas’s largest paper criticized ([link removed]) state policymakers for encouraging the rapid development of crypto mining operations, amidst extreme weather events and the threat of deadly blackouts ([link removed]) . Texas initially lured ([link removed]) crypto miners with the promise of affordable, reliable energy, as well as tax incentives and a lucrative “demand response ([link removed]) ” program that pays them to curtail their operations when extra power is needed. In 2022, CfA’s Tech Transparency Project (TTP) released a report
([link removed]) on the program, explaining how crypto miners were collecting hundreds of millions of dollars during events like Winter Storm Uri. Ultimately, the storm knocked out Texas’s grid and caused 246 recorded deaths ([link removed].) , almost two thirds of which were linked to hypothermia. The Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates the state’s grid, recently announced ([link removed]) that they were “confident” about this coming summer, but acknowledged a 16% chance of an “emergency” in August.
Now, a growing coalition ([link removed]) of Texas lawmakers are concerned about the strain crypto mining facilities place on aging power infrastructure. Following a hearing on crypto energy use and grid reliability, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick Tweeted ([link removed]) that he was more concerned about getting electricity to families and “normal businesses,” instead of supporting “very niche industries that have massive power demands and produce few jobs.” This last point is supported by another TTP report ([link removed]) , which found that many crypto mining initiatives have failed to deliver promised jobs and tax revenue.
What We're Reading
Infant mortality spiked in Texas after abortion ban, study reveals ([link removed])
Judge blocks Michigan's 24-hour waiting period, informed consent laws for abortion ([link removed])
Court ruling suggests recent activity in federal investigation of Ken Paxton ([link removed])
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We thank you for your continued support. Without people like you, our work would not be possible.
Here is how you can stay involved and help us accomplish our mission:
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Be on the lookout for more updates about our work in the upcoming weeks. Thanks again for signing up to be a part of CfA!
Sincerely,
Michelle Kuppersmith
Executive Director, Campaign for Accountability
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