Sen. Tina Smith Critical of Companies Selling Cell Phone Location Data of People Who Visit Abortion Clinics

Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota says that the loss of Roe v. Wade would have a significant impact.
Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota says that the loss of Roe v. Wade would have a significant impact.
Published: May. 18, 2022 at 8:42 PM CDT
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (KTTC) – U.S. Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota is joining twelve Senate colleagues in sending letters to two data brokers, criticizing them for selling cell phone location data of people who visit abortion clinics. The two data companies are SafeGraph and Placer.ai.

The senators are demanding answers about the companies’ data collection practices and calling on them to create a complete and permanent ban on these and similar practices.

“Anti-abortion activists have already used location data to send targeted anti-choice ads to women’s phones while they are sitting in abortion clinics… Anti-abortion politicians in Republican-led states have placed bounties on women who receive abortions and doctors that provide them and even proposed laws that would punish pregnant people for traveling to seek abortions out of state. Anti-abortion prosecutors have used search and message data to criminally charge abortion seekers,” wrote the senators. “These and other practices targeting women seeking necessary health care services are almost certain to escalate if Roe v. Wade is gutted and abortion is criminalized instantly in states across the nation.”

Data brokers across the country use a similar three-step business model. First, companies collect untold amounts of data from Americans when they use websites and mobile applications, oftentimes without the consumer’s informed consent or knowledge. Second, data brokers scoop up that information in bulk and repackage it for sale. Third, purchasers of all stripes buy the data for almost any purpose, reaping massive profits for the $200 billion data-broker industry.

The senators are calling on the two companies to give detailed answers to their questions about the companies’ practices by May 31, 2022.

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