U.S. lawmakers are asking Apple and Google to help protect data that could be used against abortion-seekers after a leaked draft opinion suggested the Supreme Court plans to overturn Roe V. Wade, AppleInsider reported.
On Friday, the senators sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. In the letter, the senators expressed concern that some of the data collected, including health, biometrics, online activity and location, could be used to identify people seeking abortions.
Senators have reason to be concerned. Many apps collect information from users and sell it to data brokers, who in turn sell it to other parties.
Given that Texas is planning to pay bounties to residents who report abortions elsewhere, the brokers could also sell the data to pro-abortion prosecutors or “even vigilantes,” the letter said.
The letter asks the companies to commit to reviewing and updating their policies on data use and distribution to protect the safety of women seeking abortions.
The letter was signed by four Democratic senators, including Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Ron Wyden of Oregon, and independent senators from Vermont. Congressman Bernie Sanders.