Security News > 2022 > July > Post-Roe Privacy

"Taken together, this means the primary digital threat for people who take abortion pills is the actual evidence of intention stored on your phone, in the form of texts, emails, and search/web history. Cynthia Conti-Cook's incredible article"Surveilling the Digital Abortion Diary details what we know now about how digital evidence has been used to prosecute women who have been pregnant.

As Conti-Cook says, Ms. Fisher "Conduct[ed] internet searches, including how to induce a miscarriage, 'buy abortion pills, mifepristone online, misoprostol online,' and 'buy misoprostol abortion pill online,'" and then purchased misoprostol online.

After someone alerts police, digital evidence has been used to corroborate or show intent.

We have not seen digital evidence be a first port of call for prosecutors or cops looking for people who may have self-managed an abortion.

Period tracking is also extremely useful if you need to determine how pregnant you might be, especially if you need to evaluate the relative access and legal risks for your abortion options.

See also EFF's privacy guide for those seeking an abortion.

News URL

https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2022/07/post-roe-privacy.html