Google introduced on Friday that it might delete customers’ location historical past after they go to abortion clinics, home violence shelters and different locations the place privateness is sought.
“If our methods decide that somebody has visited considered one of these areas, we are going to delete these entries from location historical past shortly after the go to,” wrote Jen Fitzpatrick, Google’s senior vice chairman, in a weblog publish. “This transformation will go into impact within the coming weeks.”
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Different locations the place Google does not retailer location knowledge are fertility facilities, dependancy remedy amenities, and weight reduction clinics.
The announcement comes every week after the US Supreme Courtroom made a tectonic resolution stripping American ladies of their constitutional proper to an abortion, prompting a dozen states to ban or severely prohibit the process and sparking mass protests throughout the nation.
Activists and politicians have urged Google and different tech giants to restrict the quantity of knowledge they gather to stop it from being utilized by legislation enforcement for abortion investigations and legislation enforcement.
Fitzpatrick additionally wished to reassure customers that the corporate takes privateness severely.
“Google has a protracted monitor document of pushing again overbroad legislation enforcement claims, together with totally objecting to some claims,” she wrote.
“We take into account the privateness and safety expectations of people that use our merchandise, and we notify folks after we adjust to regulatory necessities.”
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Considerations over smartphone knowledge and reproductive rights predate the Supreme Courtroom ruling, when a number of conservative US states handed laws in current months giving the general public the appropriate to sue docs who carry out abortions — or anybody who does helps to ease them.
That prompted a bunch of high Democratic lawmakers in Could to ship a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, urging him to cease amassing smartphone location knowledge lest it “grow to be a software for right-wing extremists who crack down on folks.” need to proceed who search reproductive well being care .”
