Hey there --

Despite promises from Google to protect the data privacy of users seeking abortions, new Accountable Tech research shows the company still retains location data for users who visit reproductive care facilities.

In June, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade – a direct attack on our fundamental rights. The last time abortion was illegal in the United States, there was nowhere near the level of digital surveillance and data collection of today. Our new reality is that digital footprints could be weaponized to target individuals seeking reproductive care. And according to our research, Google – one of the largest collectors of location data – is failing to protect users seeking an abortion. 

Shortly after the Supreme Court decision, Google announced a policy change to delete data entries from location history soon after users visit certain sensitive locations, including abortion clinics. [1] But we tested the policy by sending two members of our team to different Planned Parenthood locations across the country. We found that Google still retains location search queries by default, and location history for users who have it turned on. As the Guardian reports, “the information [that Google retains] paints a fairly detailed picture of whether and how someone sought an abortion.” [2]

Friend, no one should be tracked for exercising their personal health decisions. Join us in calling out Google for failing to protect those seeking abortion care by sharing the report with your friends or online if you’re on social media:

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Next week, we’re delivering a petition to Google signed by more than 100,000 people demanding that Google stops collecting and retaining location data for the threat it poses to those seeking abortion care. If you haven’t already, add your name to our grassroots petition to send a strong message to Google.

Google must stop unnecessarily collecting and retaining user location data – and start protecting the privacy of their users.

Thanks for being with us,

Nicole Gill
Co-founder and Executive Director
Accountable Tech

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