Democrats have urged Google, Apple, and other tech giants in the US Congress to remove apps that could track women seeking an abortion.
The US Congress To Eliminate Applications That Might Follow Women Seeking Abortions!
The lawmakers said the apps could violate federal law prohibiting the sale of devices that can track a person’s location.
Apple’s Health app, Google’s Goggles, and Amazon’s Clarity are some apps in question.
What Are US Abortion Laws?
Abortion is a medical treatment used to terminate an undesirable pregnancy. An abortion can be induced by administering drugs or fluid into the uterus, or they can do it surgically using a suction device.
US abortion law is the set of federal laws and regulations restricting legal access to abortions in the United States.
It excludes medical abortions, which are only prohibited in two cases:
1) when a woman and her doctor choose them for non-medical reasons.
2) if they take place at less than nine weeks gestation.
Abortion laws in the United States are amongst the most complex and confusing globally. Each state has its own set of complex legal regulations, including waiting periods, parental consent and notification laws, and federal law protecting abortion rights, which any judge may not uphold.
House Democrats are urging Google and Apple to delete controversial applications that might allow anyone to follow women seeking abortions. In a letter sent Tuesday, Democrats said they were concerned that both companies’ app stores had applications that could collect location data from users without their consent or even alert others to the woman’s presence at such facilities — undermining their confidentiality and putting them at risk of harassment.
A group of Democratic lawmakers is asking Apple and Google to remove any apps aimed at helping women find and schedule abortions, saying the apps could undermine abortion rights by revealing the identities of women using them.
The request comes two weeks after Apple removed an app created by reproductive rights organization Family Planning Health Services that provided information on birth control, STI testing, and pregnancy counseling without identifying the user. Family Planning Health Services had said they created the app because some women in Texas were having trouble locating clinics that provide abortions or getting appointments without divulging their identity.
The Abortion Law Issue
The Abortion Law Issue is the issue that most people are familiar with regarding abortion. It involves women who have had an abortion and regret the decision and the belief that any woman should have control over her body.
The United States is embroiled in a heated debate over abortion laws, typically regulated at the state level. Several states have recently passed legislation prohibiting or severely restricting abortion access, prompting legal challenges on both sides. This article looks at the current rules, what they cover and how they regulate abortions.
Conclusion
Lately, many discussions have been around the US abortion law, which requires that abortion-tracking apps be removed from Google Play and App Stores. The rule about abortion has raised questions about the future of abortion and how we can protect the privacy of women seeking abortions.
Google has stated that they will remove the apps from their stores, while Apple has yet to decide. What do you think about this issue? Is it necessary for abortion-tracking apps to be removed from these platforms? Let us know in the comments below!