Google will automatically delete the geolocation data of its users who visit abortion clinics, the internet giant announced yesterday Friday, following concerns raised[/B] that such electronic data may be used to track women seeking to terminate their pregnancies.[/B]
"If our systems detect that a person has gone to a (sensitive) site, we will erase their geolocation history shortly after their visit," Jen Fitchpatrick vice president of Google said in a statement.
The announcement comes a week after the US Supreme Court overturned its historic ruling that had legalized abortion.
Democratic parliamentarians and human rights organizations were concerned that the personal data of women who have had abortions or those of persons who assisted them might be retained against their will by prosecutors in conservative states that have banned abortion.
For weeks they have been asking major internet companies to no longer retain personal information, data from internet searches about abortion or geolocation data.
But Google, Meta and Apple have so far not responded.
Fitchpatrick added that Google has a habit of pushing back against the authorities' inappropriate and excessive requests, without specifically mentioning abortion.
[BR][BR]We take into account the confidentiality and security expectations of individuals using our products and alert them when we receive requests from the government, except when human lives are at risk, she added.
Among the sensitive sites affected by Google's decision are shelters for victims of domestic violence, weight loss clinics and detox centers.
Source: APE
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