WASHINGTON — More than a dozen Senate Democrats are calling on location data companies to provide information about any collection or sale of cellphone data related to visits to abortion clinics.
The letters, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and first reported by NBC News, demanded responses from tech companies SafeGraph Inc. and Placer.ai by May 31.
“Especially in the wake of the leak of the Supreme Court’s draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, the sale of this data by your company – to virtually anyone with a credit card – poses serious dangers to all women seeking to access abortion services,” the senators wrote to SafeGraph, with similar wording in the letter to Placer.
Other Democrats who signed the letter include the Senses. Patty Murray of Washington, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Ron Wyden of Oregon, as well as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
The letter is the latest example of congressional Democrats’ preparations for the likely overthrow of Roe v. Wade. Senate Democrats failed to pass legislation last week that would codify the landmark 1973 decision in the face of stiff Republican opposition.
Lawmakers are trying to address abortion privacy concerns as advocates warn that selling location data could pose risks to patients and providers given heightened tensions around the abortion debate.
Tracking data also allowed advertisers to target women in clinics. In their letter, the senators cited technology that helped a Boston company send anti-abortion ads directly to women as they sat in clinic waiting rooms in 2016.
With the prospect of more states further restricting access to abortion, Democrats are focusing on the role big tech should play in the battle for reproductive rights.
“Democrats must use every tool possible to defend Americans’ abortion rights and protect women’s health,” Warren told NBC News of the data brokerage campaign. “These practices are deeply concerning and endanger the safety of anyone seeking access to abortion care.”
SafeGraph and Placer said they took steps to stop access to clinic data after several media reports highlighted its availability. SafeGraph stated on its website that “In light of potential federal changes in access to family planning, we are suppressing Patterns data for locations classified as…’Family Planning Centers’…to limit any potential misuse of its data.
Pacer.ai reportedly removed the ability for users to search visualized data related to Planned Parenthood that showed approximations for the homes of those who visited clinics.
The company did not respond to a request for comment.
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