Arizona governor calls for repeal of state law requiring annual abortion report

The Arizona governor, Katie Hobbs, is calling for legislators to repeal the state law that requires an annual abortion report, saying that it infringes on patients’ privacy, which echoes other Democratic officials’ push to reduce or eliminate such requirements. Read more at The Guardian    

Democrats push to protect the data privacy of people seeking abortions

Data brokers say the data they collect is anonymized. But some researchers have found vulnerabilities in that data that could make it possible to see who has gone to an abortion clinic. The startup Atlas Privacy obtained access to a tool used by the U.S. government and law enforcement agencies that draws on commercially available … Read more

DeSantis Is Doing Everything He Can to End Abortion Measures’ Winning Streak

For another, DeSantis — the man who signed back-to-back abortion bans into law here — has thrown the full force of the state government behind coordinated efforts to tank the measure. Read more at Rolling Stone  

Crisis pregnancy center’s forms give rare insight into anti-abortion practices

The free organizations offer counseling while trying to dissuade women from having an abortion. They promise to protect health data but aren’t bound by federal privacy law. Read more at NBC News  

The Vance Warning

When the Trump Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in 2022, it opened the door to a new regime of state-level policing and punishment of American women. After this year’s election, Republicans may or may not have the votes in Congress to pass a national abortion ban. That’s not the most important question, however. … Read more

Reproductive rights are under attack using online data. These tools help people protect themselves

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) introduced legislation this year that would require the Veterans Administration to provide quarterly reports on the number of abortions performed at VA hospitals and by affiliated providers. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) introduced the More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed (MOMS Act), a bill that would create a federal database for pregnant … Read more

Katie Britt proposes federal database to collect data on pregnant people

Critics have noted that the database of “pregnancy support centers” would provide misleading information in an effort to dissuade women from seeking abortions. Axios noted that the bill would also provide grants to anti-abortion non-profit organizations. Read more at The Guardian  

Reproductive rights and data privacy risks

Personal data is easier to get than ever. Reproductive health workers are at risk. For many people who work at abortion providers or in the reproductive health space, the problem isn’t foreign governments buying their information. It’s fellow Americans who oppose abortion who want to target them, often to directly threaten them. And national legislation … Read more