Keep Your Abortion-Related Reading Private

It’s becoming more and more common for law enforcement to scoop up the online activity of anyone they think might be a criminal, then go on a fishing expedition for anything that looks remotely like evidence. Can you imagine being flagged as a potential threat because you tweeted that a new song is “fire” or that you’re “killing it” at work? It actually happened.

Looking up information about abortion online is not a crime. Neither is texting or emailing people about it. But as states increasingly restrict abortion access, it’s more likely than ever for law enforcement to treat any pregnancy that doesn’t end in a live birth as a potential crime scene – and to demand people’s phones so they can look through online searches, location histories, emails, texts, social media, and even their photos for tidbits of information they can cobble together into a criminal case. Other than in Michigan, no state has laws requiring police to have a warrant to search your phone. That makes it much too easy for law enforcement to identify people who are pregnant, or who they think might be pregnant, and target them for investigation.

Simply looking up information about abortion online is not a crime. Neither is texting or emailing people about it. We’ve got some tips for online privacy on our website and blog. The Digital Defense Fund also offers a great, easy-to-understand guide to digital security and abortion. And for people who are already facing investigation, arrest, or prosecution, the Repro Legal Defense Fund can help pay for bail and lawyers.

Don’t volunteer to be spied on. Protect yourself!