In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe V. Wade, privacy experts are concerned that data from period-tracking apps could potentially be used to identify someone that’s seeking an abortion. Adonne Washington, Associate Counsel for the Digital Justice Initiative at the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, explains why data-collecting apps, not just ones for reproductive health, are a concern in a post-Roe world.

Opening Bell

Why Women Are Being Told To Delete Their Period Tracking Apps

here with more insight on this dani Washington who is associate counsel for the Digital justice initiative at the lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Thank you so much for joining us. Can you further explain why period tracking apps are now a concern for women and people who can become pregnant in a post roe world? Yeah, thank you so much for having me. I'm happy to be here and provide this information. The concern with these apps is not only that it could um track your location, it can also collect sensitive data and information that can be used to link an individual that may be seeking an abortion or assisting another individual and abortion. Now these period tracking apps can be useful for helping women um monitor their birth control and health care. But on the flip side, many of these apps do not have strong privacy protections to ensure that that sensitive data and information that it is collecting is protected. This could mean that information is being sold to third parties or that that information is being maintained and kept for longer periods of time, even beyond when you've deleted the app. So ensuring that the app is you know providing the strongest protection for individuals should be the most important thing that people are thinking about when they are considering either deleting the app or downloading a new one. Yeah, it gives another layer to the privacy protection issues that we're seeing also unfolds here. So you can understand the correlation between someone who's using this different platform maybe. Um and that information getting into a third party through the privacy issues. How could this also make someone vulnerable who's helping someone else to get an abortion? Right. So your phone is likely picking up data points and it doesn't even have to be a period tracking app. It could be a number of other apps on your phone. Um outside of kind of like the location apps or the mapping apps. Um it could also be a gaming app or um one of your other social media apps that is picking up data points on your location and where your movements are. So if you're taking someone else to seek an abortion, um and you're sitting in the waiting room for them, your phone can still track that you are there. So there should be concerns just generally for all individuals about the privacy protections that your app provides and the you know, and to end encryption that is offered by different apps. There's special messaging apps that can be used to protect conversations especially when they're sensitive information involved in terms of those that are helping others go to um seek abortions at different locations. Be weary of the apps that you're using at the time ensure that those apps um you've got the location services turned off on your phone for specific apps if you intend to use those while helping others. Okay, So it sounds like using end to end encryption when speaking or using communications on these different platforms? And also you mentioned turning off location services. Is there any other advice that you can offer to users of these kinds of period tracking apps and other reproductive health apps to protect their data and privacy beyond just maybe deleting them? Absolutely. Um Listen, we all recognize that our phones are relatively necessary as we proceed with daily life. Um the number of apps tends to increase at a steady rate just based on what we need them for. So when you're downloading these apps, it can be really important to look at those terms and conditions that fine print that no one loves to read. Um can include some really important details about how that data and that information that you share with the app will be used. Additionally, as I mentioned, um messaging apps such as signal are really essential to protecting those kind of private conversations or more sensitive data that might be shared between phone users it's an app that can be downloaded. Um further individuals who are looking for a period tracking app might think to look at one such as clue which is a german app. Um and that is governed by the general data protection regulation, which is the governing privacy law. And it's very strong um in the eu. And so apps that fall under those protections can automatically have stronger protections for individuals even living here in America, I really appreciate all of this insight. Again, just reminds us what else is at stake with the overturn of roe v wade when it comes to women's privacy. That's a dani Washington. Associate counsel for the Digital Justice Initiative at the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Thank you so much for joining us here on cheddar News this morning.