A congressional panel is investigating the collection and sale of data on pregnant women, with top Democrats expressing concern that the data could be misused to target women seeking abortion.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), the chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee, and two members of the panel, Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) and Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) said the collection of the sensitive data “could pose serious threats to those seeking reproductive care as well as to providers of such care, not only by facilitating intrusive government surveillance, but also by putting people at risk of harassment, intimidation, and even violence.”
“Geographic data collected by mobile phones may be used to locate people seeking care at clinics, and search and chat history referring to clinics or medication create digital bread crumbs revealing interest in an abortion,” they wrote in letters to executives at 10 companies that have been involved in collecting and/or selling the information in the past….