"Senate Democrats press tech firms on abortion-related location data," 18 May 2022

More than a dozen Senate Democrats are asking location data companies to provide information about any collection or sales of cellphone data tied to visits to abortion clinics.

... “Especially in the wake of the Supreme Court’s leaked draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, your company’s sale of such data—to virtually anyone with a credit card—poses serious dangers for all women seeking access to abortion services,” the senators wrote to SafeGraph, with similar wording in the letter to Placer.

... Lawmakers are trying to address privacy concerns around abortion as advocates warn that selling location data could pose risks to both patients and providers given the heightened tensions around the abortion debate.

... SafeGraph and Placer have said they’ve taken steps to stop access to clinic data after several media reports highlighted its availability. SafeGraph said on its website that “in light of potential federal changes in family planning access, we’re removing Patterns data for locations classified as … ‘Family Planning Centers’ … to curtail any potential misuse of its data.”

Pacer.ai is reported to have removed users’ ability to search for visualized data related to Planned Parenthood that showed approximations for the homes of those who visited clinics.

The company did not respond to a request for comment.