After the Supreme Court’s decision to strip federal abortion rights in the United States, many are questioning how the apps they use every day can suddenly turned against them.
As concern grows about the endless amounts of data that tech companies have built entire industries around, Google is taking at least one step to mitigate some of the potential harms associated with location tracking. mind.
The company announced on Friday in a blog post that it deletes location history data about certain “particularly personal” places from a Google account as soon as someone visits. The locations that will have their data deleted include “medical facilities such as counseling centres, domestic violence shelters, abortion clinics, fertility centers, addiction treatment facilities, clinics weight loss, plastic surgery clinics and other facilities,” according to the blog.
Google also notes that Fitbit users using the device’s companion software as a cycle tracker now have to delete those entries individually, but an easier way to “delete multiple logs at once” is being worked on. apply.
The change to location history will go into effect in the next few weeks, emptying a potential pool of data that law enforcement could request from the company. Google notes that its location history feature is disabled by default for those using its service, but if you’re not sure about it, it’s always worth it. double check What personal information you are actively sharing with technology’s data brokers – especially now.
