Your private parts should stay private. There, I said it. Unfortunately, though, in a post-Roe world, your digital footprint runs the risk of being tracked by anti-choice groups, abusive partners, and authorities, so keeping your health information private is more important than ever. But what does that really mean? And how do you do it?
“Medical privacy is a really good example of how some of the most intimate aspects of our lives can get wrapped up in a privacy nightmare,” says Daly Barnett, a staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Between abortion access, reproductive services, and gender-affirming care, necessary forms of healthcare in the United States have become criminalized, causing major shifts in thousands of peoples medical lives, she explains. The result? A reality that deserves a particularly cautious approach for keeping your health information safe and sound.
Now it’s hard to give a hard-and-fast recommendation for “the best” privacy tool, because the digital landscape is ever-changing and what is legal today may not be legal in two months, but Barnett suggests starting out with mindfulness. It can be overwhelming to get into the weeds of privacy policies and legal documents, but instead of jumping into technical solutions, think about compartmentalizing your life, she says. “Carefully put into boxes the different activities and aspects of your life that need to be kept separate from each other, so you can be mindful of how you produce data in the digitized world when communicating with others about your healthcare,” she explains. For example, if you want to Google beauty tips or DM about your latest workout, go for it. But if you need to search or communicate about your reproductive healthcare, it’s best to use encrypted messaging and private search engines.
Another pro tip: don’t panic! “It’s really easy to throw your hands up in the air and feel like there is no privacy at all so you might as well not try, but there are small harm reduction steps that you can take to make things private enough and good enough,” says Nicole Lopez, the director of technology at Midwest Access Coalition. “There’s a lot of points where we are leaving a trail of crumbs, and that’s just something that occurs in a digital world, but there are ways to limit that.”
That’s why we talked to three reproductive choice experts about minimizing your digital footprint and the manageable steps for keeping your health information truly private.
Experts Featured in This Article:
Daly Barnett is a staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a leading nonprofit organization defending civil liberties in the digital world.
Whitney Chinogwenya is the global marketing manager of MSI Reproductive Choices, an international reproductive rights organization that provides contraception and safe abortion services in 37 countries.
Nicole Lopez is the director of technology at Midwest Access Coalition, a reproductive rights organization that helps people traveling to, from, and within the Midwest to access a safe, legal abortion.
How to Keep Your Health Information Private
Good news: there are simple steps you can take to protect your health data, which is why MSI Reproductive Choices recently launched the Vagina Privacy Network: a new kind of “VPN” with step-by-step protocol for those who want to stay anonymous online, says Whitney Chinogwenya, the global marketing manager of MSI Reproductive Choices. Whether you’re searching online for abortion care, reproductive information, or just want to surf the web mindfully, the following seven VPN tips can offer a degree of protection, according to Chinogwenya.
- Search Safely: Go beyond incognito mode and download a secure web browser. To do so, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has outlined step-by-step instructions for Windows, MacOS, and iOS and Android.
- Chat Through Encrypted Messaging: It’s convenient to send a simple SMS or iMessage, but apps like Signal offer more protection than text, email, or DM (that goes for Facebook Messenger, too). To take it a step further, you can also turn on “disappearing messages” to eliminate any form of trace or tracking from lingering conversations.
- Cut the Clutter: If you’re guilty of downloading an app, creating an account, and then never using it again, delete it. Apps are working overtime to collect data, and entirely removing them from your phone can minimize tracking and exposure.
- Dial Discreetly: If you’re making a call about your reproductive health, consider using a prepaid phone or app like Hushed to eliminate any record.
- Go Unnoticed: It can be a nerve-wracking thought, but many cars and phones have built-in technology to track your location. If you need to search directions to a pro-choice clinic, opt for a privacy-friendly navigator like Apple Maps or OsmAnd. From there, consider using public transportation or park/have an Uber drop you off a few blocks away. Once you arrive, turn off your phone.
- Be Aware of How You Pay: If you’re paying for an abortion or reproductive care service online, or using a check, credit, or debit card, be mindful that these payments can be tracked. Instead, use cash or a prepaid card.
- Spread the Love: Reproductive care goes beyond just you, so share these tips with your inner circle. Also, make sure you fully trust anyone you share your health information with – whether it’s a friend, family member, coworker, or healthcare provider.
All that said, bear in mind that when it comes to protecting your health information and digital privacy, just like birth control, no method is 100 percent effective, Lopez says. There’s a lot of myths, misconceptions, and misinformation in the world, but taking the proper steps and having access to reputable information is where it starts. “Know that you have control,” she says. “It’s about tackling the small things and low hanging fruit to reduce the amount of exposure.”
For additional resources, check out the Vagina Privacy Network’s full digital privacy guide and/or The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Surveillance Self-Defense Guide for tools, how-tos, and security scenarios. The Digital Defense Fund privacy guide is also a wealth of information when it specifically comes to keeping an abortion private and secure.
Andi Breitowich is a Chicago-based freelance writer and graduate from Emory University and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Her work has appeared in PS, Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan, and elsewhere. She is a mass consumer of social media, former collegiate pole vaulter, and cares about holistic wellness and non-stigmatizing reproductive care.
