Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
Senators express concern that data brokers are selling personal location data related to reproductive health care, including abortion services
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and 13 other Senate colleagues in urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to protect the data privacy of women seeking reproductive health care, following the Supreme Court’s leaked decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
“We write to express serious concerns regarding recent reports identifying data brokers buying and selling location data that includes personal data related to family planning and abortion services,” the senators wrote to FTC Chairwoman Lina Khan. “Recent reports highlight data brokers selling location data that allows the buyer to see how many people visit a certain location and when, including how many people are seeking care at reproductive health clinics such as Planned Parenthood.”
“In light of reports that the Supreme Court is set to overrule Roe vs. Wade, we are concerned about the privacy of women making decisions that should be between them, their families, and their doctors, as they have for more than five decades,” the senators continued.
The full text of the letter is available here.
Senator Cortez Masto has been a tireless advocate for reproductive rights and protecting Americans’ data privacy. She recently spoke on the Senate floor about the importance of protecting the right to choose for women around the country. She has called on her colleagues to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, legislation to guarantee reproductive freedoms for Americans, and has introduced several bills to strengthen data privacy protections for American consumers. Last year, the senator raised the alarm about the danger a Mississippi case represents to Roe v. Wade and joined Congressional colleagues in filing a brief in the case urging the Supreme Court to uphold Roe. She was a vocal opponent of the Trump administration’s efforts to limit access to family planning and reproductive health care and worked to block federal court nominees who would roll back women’s health care and reproductive freedoms.
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