Some Fear Digital Surveillance of Pregnancy

Some Fear Digital Surveillance of Pregnancy¹

Companies that collect data from people online often know their most sensitive health information. They can find that information through web searches and tracking programs.

Privacy experts now fear this information could be used to spy on pregnant women if the U.S. Supreme² Court overturns Roe³ v. Wade⁴ – the court's 1973 ruling protecting the right to end a pregnancy.

For now, the data is mostly used to target advertising⁵, like baby products shown to pregnant women. But the information could become evidence in a criminal case. And it is something that worries those who support a woman's right to end a pregnancy, or abortion⁶.

"The value of these tools for law enforcement is for how they really get to peek⁷ into the soul," said Cynthia Conti-Cook. She is a Ford⁸ Foundation technology expert.

In public, there are security cameras, license⁹ plate readers and other tools to record people's movements. And the technology has gotten far ahead of the laws that govern them. Laws in the U.S. are far behind those passed in Europe in 2018.

Vice¹⁰ News found that until this month, anyone could get data on clients at more than 600 Planned Parenthood offices around the country for as little as $160. Planned Parenthood is a non-profit provider of healthcare including abortions¹¹.

The information included probable patient addresses, earning levels, time spent at the health provider, and the top places people visited before and afterward¹².

That is possible because the current law protects privacy in the doctor's office but not information that mobile devices and tech companies collect. Some American states are starting to push back, setting limits on tools that gather this information.

The state of Massachusetts, through a legal settlement, stopped a Boston company from sending anti-abortion advertising to women inside health offices that offer abortion services.

In Michigan, voters changed the state constitution to require police to get a warrant before searching someone's data. And in California, voters passed a digital privacy law that lets people delete the data that companies collect about them.

Still, the responsibility to protect one's privacy lies mainly with the user who must understand complex data agreements and policies.

The rising concerns have forced Apple, Google and other tech companies to add measures limiting the sale of consumer data. That includes Apple's launch of its App Tracking Transparency feature, which lets users block apps from tracking them.

Abortion rights activists¹³ suggest that people in conservative states leave their phones at home or turn off location services when seeking health care. They also advise studying the privacy policies of health apps they use.

Nathan Freed Wessler is with the ACLU's Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project. He said there are "very, very few people who have the savvy¹⁴ to do everything" needed to protect themselves.

Words in This Story

track — v. to follow or watch the path of

peek — v. to look at someone or something secretly especially from a hidden place

soul — n. a person's deeply felt moral and emotional nature

warrant — n. a document issued by a court that gives the police the power to do something

savvy — adj. having practical understanding or knowledge of something

1 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

2 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

3 roe   

n.鱼卵；獐鹿

参考例句：

• We will serve smoked cod's roe at the dinner.宴会上我们将上一道熏鳕鱼子。
• I'll scramble some eggs with roe?我用鱼籽炒几个鸡蛋好吗？

4 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

5 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

6 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

7 peek   

vi.偷看，窥视；n.偷偷的一看，一瞥

参考例句：

• Larry takes a peek out of the window.赖瑞往窗外偷看了一下。
• Cover your eyes and don't peek.捂上眼睛，别偷看。

8 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

9 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

10 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

11 abortions   

n.小产( abortion的名词复数 )；小产胎儿；（计划）等中止或夭折；败育

参考例句：

• The Venerable Master: By not having abortions, by not killing living beings. 上人：不堕胎、不杀生。 来自互联网
• Conclusion Chromosome abnormality is one of the causes of spontaneous abortions. 结论：染色体异常是导致反复自然流产的原因之一。 来自互联网

12 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

13 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 savvy   

v.知道，了解；n.理解能力，机智，悟性；adj.有见识的，懂实际知识的，通情达理的

参考例句：

• She was a pretty savvy woman.她是个见过世面的漂亮女人。
• Where's your savvy?你的常识到哪里去了？