Google To Automatically Erase Evidence Of Visits To Abortion Clinics

Photo 148285296 © Cpenler | Dreamstime.com

On the heels of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade, Google will remove the tracks of users who may have visited abortion clinics or other medical sites. The move comes as the legality of such activity is thrown in the headlights.

As the owner of the largest search engine and Android, Google is using its power to protect the privacy of users who have lost their constitutional rights to terminate their pregnancies. Moving forward, the tech giant will delete entries identifying that someone has visited an abortion clinic, counseling center, or domestic violence shelter, among others, from their Location History “soon after they visit,” explains Jen Fitzpatrick, Google’s senior vice president of core systems and experiences.

“Some of the places people visit—including medical facilities like counseling centers, domestic violence shelters, abortion clinics, fertility centers, addiction treatment facilities, weight loss clinics, cosmetic surgery clinics, and others—can be particularly personal,” Fitzpatrick emphasizes.

Google has long offered the option for users to control their Location History; the feature, in fact, is switched off by default. However, it will now automatically delete traces of visits at certain medical and counseling places for those who have the setting on.

The update will roll out in the coming weeks, says Google.

Google parent Alphabet, which also owns Fitbit, will provide more ways for Google Fit and Fitbit owners to edit and delete sensitive information at any time. For Fitbit users, this brings the ability to delete multiple menstruation logs from period-tracking apps, instead of just individual entries. 

[via CNBC and TIME, cover photo 148285296 © Cpenler | Dreamstime.com]