Google to erase more location info as abortion bans expand

[ad_1]

Google will automatically purge information about users who visit abortion clinics or other places that could trigger legal problems now that the U.S. Supreme Court has opened the door for states to ban the termination of pregnancies.

The company behind the internet’s dominant internet search engine and the Android software that powers most of the world’s smartphones outlined the new privacy protections in a Friday blog post.

Besides automatically deleting visits to abortion clinics, Google also cited counseling centers, fertility centers, addiction treatment facilities, weight loss clinics, and cosmetic surgery clinics as other destinations that will be erased from users’ location histories. Users have always had the option edit their location histories on their own, but Google will proactively do it for them as an added level of protection.

“We’re committed to delivering robust privacy protections for people who use our products, and we will continue to look for new ways to strengthen and improve these protections,” Jen Fitzpatrick, a Google senior vice president, wrote in the blog post.

The pledge comes amid escalating pressure on Google and other Big Tech companies to do more to shield the troves of sensitive personal information through their digital services and products from government authorities and other outsiders.

Not a Modern Healthcare subscriber? Sign up today.

The calls for more stringent privacy controls were triggered by the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion. That reversal could make abortion illegal in more than a dozen states, raising the specter that records about people’s location, texts, searches and emails could be used in prosecutions against abortion procedures or even for medical care sought in a miscarriage.

Like other technology companies, Google each year receives thousands of government demands for users’ digital records as part of misconduct investigations. Google says it pushes back against search warrants and other demands that are overly broad or appear to be baseless.

Download Modern Healthcare’s app to stay informed when industry news breaks.

[ad_2]

Source link

slot gacor slot gacor togel macau slot hoki bandar togel slot dana slot mahjong link slot link slot777 slot gampang maxwin slot hoki slot mahjong slot maxwin slot mpo slot777 slot toto slot toto situs toto toto slot situs toto situs toto situs toto situs toto slot88 toto slot slot gacor thailand slot bet receh situs toto situs toto slot toto slot situs toto situs toto situs toto situs togel macau toto slot slot demo slot pulsa slot pragmatic situs toto deposit dana 10k surga slot toto slot link situs toto situs toto slot situs toto situs toto slot777 slot gacor situs toto slot slot pulsa 10k toto togel situs toto slot situs toto slot gacor terpercaya slot dana slot gacor pay4d agen sbobet kedai168 kedai168 deposit pulsa situs toto slot pulsa situs toto slot pulsa situs toto situs toto situs toto slot dana toto slot situs toto slot pulsa toto slot situs toto slot pulsa situs toto situs toto situs toto