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Abortion data collection overview:
- Who: Heartbeat International has reportedly collected abortion data from pro-life resource centers for years.
- Why: Heartbeat’s software features a “client risk factor” that tracks women’s likelihood of seeking an abortion.
- Where: Heartbeat International is based in Ohio.
Heartbeat International, a nonprofit organization based in Ohio, has collected data from pro-life resource centers for years, Bloomberg reports.
Heartbeat purports to provide support services to crisis pregnancy centers, which frequently misrepresent that they provide pregnant women with reproductive health options when they are truly focused on abortion prevention, according to Bloomberg.
This abortion data collection is especially concerning to privacy and reproductive rights advocates in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade. They are concerned that the abortion data collected by Heartbeat may be used to build cases against women seeking abortions and doctors who assist them, Bloomberg reports.
Heartbeat reportedly offers a variety of services for pregnant women, including a website and hotline promoting “abortion pill reversal,” in which Heartbeat tries to prevent women from taking the second pill of a two-pill medication abortion course, according to Bloomberg.
Medical professionals maintain that abortion pill reversal is unproven and could be dangerous.
Heartbeat’s websites indicate it may disclose women’s personal info if situation involves ‘illegal activities’
When women seek information about abortion pill reversal on Heartbeat’s website, they have the option of engaging with a chatbot that asks them to share their name, whether they have had an abortion and their location, Bloomberg reports.
The abortion data Heartbeat collects is reportedly not covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), and the privacy policy for two of the organizations’ websites states that it may disclose personal information if a situation involves “illegal activities,” according to Bloomberg.
Heartbeat reportedly offers its own software to crisis pregnancy services and collects information such as names, addresses, email addresses, drug and alcohol use, medical history and ultrasound photos.
Heartbeat’s software also reportedly features a “client risk tracker” that monitors each woman’s anticipated risk level for seeking an abortion. The company did not disclose how many customers have used the software.
Abortion rights advocates caution abortion data could be used in prosecutions
Since the reversal of Roe v. Wade, abortion rights advocates have warned that law enforcement officials could use technology to track and prosecute women who seek abortions.
Police in Nebraska reportedly subpoenaed Facebook data from a teenager and her mother to show that they had obtained an illegal abortion. Their Facebook messages reportedly indicated that the mother purchased abortion pills to end the teen’s pregnancy.
In July, Google announced that it would delete users’ location data for visits to abortion clinics and other health providers.
What do you think about Heartbeat’s collection of women’s personal information, including abortion data? Join the discussion in the comments!
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