Looking for an Abortion? See How to Avoid Leaving behind a Digital Footprint

Diaz-Tello suggests being careful about the information you give in an emergency room. She said that a miscarriage and self-managed abortion with pills will appear identical to most health-care providers, and both require the same treatment.

Chat with a secure and encrypted messaging app

Private messaging apps use encryption to help you discuss your situation. Apple’s iMessage and Meta’s WhatsApp are all encrypted by default. This means that messages are hidden from anyone but the sender and recipient.

Signal could be the best option. Apple holds the key to decrypt iMessages backed up with its iCloud service. Law enforcement could request it to do this. WhatsApp allows data sharing with Meta, the parent company of Facebook, in its privacy policies. This could lead to privacy issues depending on the data it shares.

Protect your devices

Remember that anyone with access to your device can view your messages regardless of whether they are encrypted. Privacy experts recommend that you don’t give your phone or laptop to the police without a warrant. If you are worried about being forced to unlock it, you can disable biometric authentication like Touch ID or Face. All devices, including smartphones and tablets, require a password or passcode to be used. You should not wear any health-tracking devices while you manage your health.

Surf the web securely

According to Eric Rescorla (chief technology officer at Firefox), there are two possible ways that your browsing activity could be a risk.

To avoid leaving a trace on your devices, always use incognito (private browsing mode) on your browser. Choose from Firefox, Safari or Brave browsers, all of which have strong privacy features. You should make sure that you have the option to block cross-site tracking turned on. Instead of Google, try a search engine like DuckDuckGo and Brave.

Use a VPN to minimize the amount of information that is collected about your browsing. Third-party search apps should be avoided. Rescorla recommends Tor Browser as an additional layer of protection. It is an anonymous internet tool that conceals your identity and location.

Google is a good option if you use it. Make sure that you log out of your Google account and have turned up your privacy settings. Verify that any search results for abortion clinics is real and not fake “pregnancy crises” centers. If the ad is a Google search, a line should appear above the site’s name that states “Provides abortions” and “Doesn’t provide abortions.” The National Abortion Federation maintains a list of approved providers.

You can turn off location sharing or leave your phone at home.

Some apps track your location during the day and night. They then share that information with data brokers who may sell it to anyone who wants it. Go to Settings – Privacy and Location Services. Turn the slider to gray so that location sharing is disabled on Apple devices. This will disable apps that are dependent on location such as Uber and maps. Go to Settings – Location on your Android device and toggle the switch to “off”.

Your cell phone carrier can still collect your location even if you turn off location sharing. Jennifer Granick, American Civil Liberties Union’s surveillance and cybersecurity counsel, stated that a Faraday Bag which blocks electromagnetic fields could be useful in situations where a person wants their phone to stay with them, but not track their location by service providers.

Maximize your privacy settings

Lock down your privacy settings to ensure that your phone and social media sites do not collect any personal data. Our Privacy Reset guide contains a list of all the available options for major apps and devices.

Period tracking apps should be avoided

It is risky to trust any app that contains sensitive medical information, particularly if it is not covered under HIPAA. Each period-tracking application has unique privacy practices. Understanding the nuances can prove difficult. You will be more successful with a password-protected spreadsheet, or a paper calendar.