Accountable Tech’s latest research shows that Google is still collecting and retaining both Location History and location search query data for abortion clinics despite Google’s past commitment to delete Location History for those who visit abortion clinics and other sensitive health care locations after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

From COINTELPRO to “shopping while Black,” Black people are no strangers to surveillance and its violent consequences. Right now, if a Google user searches for an abortion clinic on Google Maps, that data is collected and retained for 18 months by default. We have already seen the danger of retaining such data related to reproductive health and outcomes. In August 2022, Facebook gave Nebraska law enforcement the direct messages of a teenager who had an abortion so that they could prosecute her with "removing/concealing/abandoning [a] dead human body,” “concealing the death of another person,” and “false reporting.” Given that Google complies with over 75% of government requests for data, this sensitive location data puts Black people at a higher risk for criminal investigation. 

Despite the end of Roe, a better future can be realized. We can build a world centered on the needs of Black women, trans, non-binary, and disabled people. Our bodily autonomy should not be subject to Big Tech’s corporate greed. We must work collectively to protect ourselves and our communities. That’s why we’re calling on Google to stop collecting location data, which could aid abortion prosecutors in the further criminalization of Black people.

Here is the Petition:

Sundar Pichai,

You must stop collecting private data related to reproductive health and outcomes. After Roe v. Wade was overturned, Google promised in July 2022 to protect sensitive health data by deleting the Location History of users who visited abortion clinics. However, Accountable Tech’s latest experiment shows that the Location History for a short trip to an abortion clinic — like someone dropping off a friend or family member — is still collected and retained if a user has Location History enabled on their Google Account. 

We already saw the danger of this data collection: in August of 2022, Facebook gave Nebraska law enforcement access to the direct messages of a teenager who had an abortion so that they could charge her. The criminalization of certain pregnancy outcomes is an act of coercive reproductive control over Black people and furthers a white supremacist agenda. Your collection of electronic data—tracking searches for abortion clinics and location data—enables this criminalization. 

Abortion is healthcare and anti-abortion legislation is not pro-life; it’s pro-white supremacy. If you continue to collect this data and allow anti-abortion groups to organize on your platform, you are complicit in pushing forward a white supremacist agenda.

Sincerely,

[Your name]