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A Catholic news outlet obtained Grindr’s location-based data and used it to track a phone belonging to a closeted Catholic priest, who later resigned from his position. For example, the lax privacy policies of some dating apps have placed LGTBQ+ users at risk. Privacy and LGBTQ+ populationsįor the LGBTQ+ community, many of whom do not publicly disclose their gender identity or sexuality due to potentially dangerous consequences, data collection and targeting have become critical matters of safety and equal opportunity. Without a federal privacy mandate, location, text, and app data could be subject to exposure and exploitation as a result of current controversies over reproductive rights. In another case in Indiana, a woman was convicted based on text messages to a friend about taking abortion pills.
#Facebook photo privacy changes 2019 trial#
In 2017, lawyers used a Mississippi woman’s online search for abortion drugs as evidence in a trial on the death of her fetus. Internet searches could also be used to incriminate individuals. In June of this year, it was also revealed that Facebook had been collecting data on individuals visiting websites of crisis pregnancy centers. A company called SafeGraph sold the phone location data of 600 people who had visited Planned Parenthood clinics. Judges have based past convictions of abortion seekers on evidence collected from people’s location data, text messages, and online activity. These privacy risks also extend beyond the usage of apps designed for reproductive management. Other period-tracking apps have also been known to sell data to third parties for targeted advertising. Notably, in 2019, the period-tracking app Flo had to settle with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), after selling user data to firms including Facebook and Google. Used by individuals to track their menstrual cycles and reproductive health, these apps also collect data that could be used to determine an individual’s pregnancy status. Since the ruling, many have brought attention to reproductive health apps. Wade, individuals seeking abortions are put at risk by existing unfettered data collection practices. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturning the precedent set by Roe v. Further, Congress needs to find consensus around federal privacy legislation to address other surveillance and data collection concerns, in particular commercial surveillance practices that enable discriminatory advertising, racially biased policing, and the outing or surveillance of historically marginalized groups. Wade highlights the urgent and pressing need for comprehensive federal privacy legislation, particularly to reduce the potential for further exploitation and manipulation of individuals who seek fair reproductive rights. That is why the recent overturning of Roe v.
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Under modern-day surveillance capitalism, interested parties can collect and monetize online data at an unprecedented scale with little scrutiny or limitation.
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