How to seek an abortion while protecting your digital privacy

Under the new Trump administration, the ability to access medically factual information on abortions online is more difficult and risky than ever. 

Among other pages, the administration has taken down reproductiverights.gov, a 2022 Biden administration website aimed at increasing public awareness around reproductive health services. The withdrawal of funding from the World Health Organization, which launched an app with up-to-date, evidence-based information on comprehensive abortion care for healthcare providers, further threatens digital access to accurate medical information not just in the U.S. but across the globe. Furthermore, a report by reproductive rights organization If/When/How cites an increase in recent years of criminalization using surveillance data from menstrual cycle-tracking apps, cell phone location, and reverse keyword searches, a trend that will likely increase in coming years.

“It is absolutely unconscionable that we live in a country where people are increasingly worried about seeking factual health information,” the national director of product innovation at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Ambreen Molitor, tells Mashable. 

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect your privacy when seeking care or information online.

How to stay private when searching for abortion info online

Molitor recommends using privacy-forward browsers like DuckDuckGo. Additionally, Planned Parenthood has an app for period tracking that stores data only on a user’s personal device, and never sells it. 

However, many digital security advocates currently suggest against using period-tracking apps at all, since these apps are not subject to medical privacy laws like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). 

If you do choose to use a period tracker app, always review app privacy policies, adjust privacy settings to limit data sharing, and avoid logging sensitive information. When deleting any app, consider sending a data deletion request as well.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation warns, however, that “deleting things from your phone or computer isn’t as easy as it sounds” for people seeking an abortion. Always remember to remove images and files from your phone or laptop’s “recently deleted” folders. You can also learn how to encrypt your device’s hard drive for extra protection. Encryption protects devices from being accessed by unauthorized users.

Get to know your state’s laws and regulations around abortion access and digital privacy. “Since there [is] such a wide range of state laws and local procedures, contacting your local health center to understand their privacy practices is the best way to empower yourself to take additional steps to protect your privacy and information security,” says Molitor. 

In 2023, New York passed Bill S.4007, which prohibits a party from geofencing (using software to track users’ phones when they enter a certain area) around any healthcare facility that the party does not own. This means that anti-abortion organizations and law enforcement agencies cannot digitally monitor which individuals are accessing abortion clinics. 

Washington state passed the first privacy-focused law in the country to protect personal health data that falls outside the scope of HIPAA. 

Fortunately, these laws lay an optimistic groundwork for similar legislation that can and should be passed by other states while abortion access rights are threatened at a federal level.

Resources for private browsing about abortion

The organization Digital Defense Fund’s guide to Keep Your Abortion Private & Secure models various types of threats that abortion-seekers might face digitally, including concerns around data collection by tech companies, criminalization by law enforcement, digital harassment by anti-abortion protestors, or safety concerns regarding the person who pays your phone bill seeing your texts. 

The full guide provides tools for increasing security online. It includes detailed instructions on steps like opting out of Google and Meta targeted ads, turning off location data, using an encrypted texting app like Signal, clearing browsing history, and even wearing identity-obscuring sunglasses, hoodies, and hats when walking into an abortion clinic. 

It may seem daunting at first, but practicing better digital security habits can positively impact individuals and their communities beyond the scope of reproductive healthcare.

For local information on your immediate choices when seeking an abortion, the website I Need An A provides secure and private information to help you access the safe abortion care you need. The website asks for your location and age (and does not save that data) to show clinics in your area, and relevant information on parental consent laws or if you are eligible to receive abortion pills by mail. 

I Need An A provides information in a straightforward way to help you plan for your next steps, and you can skip using a search engine like Google to get the information you need. The site also pulls up various abortion funds near you that can help you afford your abortion.

We can help each other stay safe by openly having conversations about abortion access and sharing reputable health information and resources within our communities. For more support, check out Mashable’s guide to abortion resources.

Protecting privacy while protesting

In addition to protecting your privacy when actively accessing an abortion, Americans might be concerned about privacy when protesting for reproductive rights. “Speaking up in support of abortion rights is NOT illegal,” Molitor reminds us. “However, it’s important to protect your privacy and ensure that personal information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands, such as anyone who may pose a threat to your safety.” 

“As a general rule, avoid sharing sensitive details like your home address, workplace, or current location on social media,” she says. Any personally identifiable information online can increase threats to the physical safety of abortion providers, advocates, and patients. Always limit the personal information you share with any website or app.

The website InfosecForActivists additionally provides a comprehensive security checklist for activists to use before, during, and after protests. They recommend using DuckDuckGo’s map to find directions to a protest, using the Emergency SOS or Lockdown Mode on your phone, and disabling biometric unlocking on your device. Remember that law enforcement requires a warrant for your phone password, but does not require one if your phone has face or fingerprint unlock.

It’s important to remember that, while some loud voices in power are attempting to damage our freedoms, there are countless organizations and individuals fighting for our access to abortions, and there will never be a time when that will stop. While it may feel overwhelming at first to consider these options, remember that digital security isn’t a black-and-white decision; it’s a process involving risk evaluation and personal choice. 

Regardless of the individual practices you choose to implement, it is still unacceptable that abortion-seekers face any type of risk in this country. We deserve the right to make choices regarding our bodies. These are just a few tools you can consider implementing, while the fight continues until we live in a world where nobody has to look over their shoulder to get the abortions they need.