Comment 8 Brief: Women Protecting Themselves When Their Protections are Gone

The ABA Rules of Professional Conduct, Model Rule 1.1 Comment 8 requires, “To maintain the requisite knowledge and skill, a lawyer shall keep abreast of changes in the law and its practice, including the benefits and risks associated with relevant technology.” To that end, we have developed this regular series to develop the competence and skills necessary to responsibly choose and use the best technologies for your educational and professional lives. If you have any questions, concerns, or topics you would like to see discussed, please reach out to e.koltonski@csuohio.edu.

We live in a digital, always online world. In our purses and pockets reside devices infinitely more powerful than those used to send humans to the Moon. But, as we have discussed here in the past, we can trust our devices too much. Today, the country became more frightening, more unfair for far too many of our fellow citizens. Today, we remember that trust is precious and should not be given lightly.

Today, we are reminded that we protect ourselves when we protect our data.

Below are several excellent articles, from the last couple months, that I hope will be helpful as lives becomes less certain.

Period-Tracking Apps and Privacy

Period-tracking apps store users’ most private data. What will that mean in a post-Roe world?- protocol

Cycle-Tracking Apps Stand Behind their Privacy Policies as Roe Teeters- The Verge

Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade: Should You Delete Your Period-Tracking App?- TechCrunch

Privacy

Yes, Phones Can Reveal if Someone Gets an Abortion- Scientific American

App Data Could be Used to Prosecute Women Under Anti-Abortion Laws- 9to5Mac

In A Post-Roe America, Googling “Abortion” Could Put You At Risk.- BuzzFeed News

Fertility Apps Bound by Weak Disclosure Rules in Post-Roe World- Bloomberg Law

Protection

Digital Safety Tips: for Providers of Abortion Support- Electronic Frontier Foundation

Digital Safety Tips: for People Seeking an Abortion- Electronic Frontier Foundation

How to Stop Apps from Tracking You and Get Your Privacy Back- CodeinWP