How Google will protect user privacy post-Roe

Google is going to roll out an in-built auto-deletion feature to erase location entries of visits made to sensitive health-related locations.

In today's big data-driven tech age, the reality is Google follows you everywhere you go. Whether you like it or not Google’s apps track your device location and what you're up to online. Google in a blog post titled ‘’protecting people’s privacy on health topics” on Friday announced that the company is going to roll out a robust privacy protection protocol in the coming weeks. These reactions from the internet search giant come in the wake of SCOTUS overruling of Roe v Wade at a time when concerns over data privacy have grown exponentially. Google, however, did not expressly make reference to the ruling or the issue of abortion in its post. But the company assured its millions of users around the globe that it stays committed to protecting the privacy of users against ‘improper government demands for data that are overly broad and legally objectionable’.

Google's new auto-deletion feature.

Google will introduce the new auto-delete feature to erase location data when the users make trips to sensitive locations like counseling centers, domestic violence shelters, abortion clinics, fertility centers, addiction treatment facilities, weight clinics, cosmetic surgery clinics, and other medical facilities which are particularly personal.  Google says its location reporting feature is off by default. But any user who likes the idea of being tracked can enable location history to let Google and its apps trace user’s movements. Google Account settings have the option to pause location history. But turning off location history is not a guarantee that your search queries on Google and activities on otherGoogle products won’t be tracked.  Even then you have the option to toggle off ‘Web and App Activity’ to stop Google from monitoring your web activity. Yet, given Google’s controversial history with privacy, you won’t be in the clear.

With auto-deletion, Google itself will take responsibility to wipe out records of your visits to healthcare providers as soon as you visit these facilities, taking the burden of privacy off from the individual users. Those who keep location reporting on will also be safe from possible government surveillance once the new feature will be in effect.  The idea behind the auto-deletion feature is that Google will not be in a position to hand over location data entries when law enforcement sends the company geofence warrants. Google won’t simply have location entries stored on their systems.

You can access Google’s instructions to turn off the location tracking feature, here. 

Google Play Store's 'data safety section' for apps.

Google Play’s data safety section which was launched in April 2022 is calling for Android app developers to disclose their data handling practices in order to give users more control over their personal data. Whether an app collects data or not, it is a mandatory requirement for all app developers to complete the ‘data safety section’ by 20^th July 2022. In Friday’s blog, Google revealed that it will roll out new tools and settings, giving app users the option to erase multiple data logs at once. Accordingly, Google Fit and Fitbit users who feed information about their menstruation cycles will be able to delete large batches of data stored on the apps.

The blog post says Google is prepared to object to government data requests entirely if they ask for far too much information about user identities and accounts. Reminding that the company has a long track record of fighting against overly broad government surveillance, Google promises to notify the users immediately when they lawfully comply with data requests. To increase transparency and user confidence, every six months Google publishes a Transparency Report sharing statistics and information on user data disclosure in response to legal processes and requests made by governments and law enforcement authorities.  

Google being proactive. 

Google’s privacy policy change is undoubtedly a clear response to the scrapping of the federal protection to abortion. Pro-choice lobby groups and privacy experts have continually expressed their concerns over possible subpoena attempts by law enforcement authorities during investigations to gain access to search queries and location data of users stored on Google servers. As half of US states have trigger laws banning abortion and some states even have legislation criminalizing abortion, in the absence of a comprehensive federal privacylaw, data privacy of healthcare providers and many US women seeking reproductive care remains susceptible to government surveillance. While Google is commending Congressional bipartisan efforts to bring in a federal privacy legislation, it does not want to wait for Congress to take action. With the two new additions to Google’s strict privacy protocol, the internet giant gives the assurance to millions of its users who rely on it to protect their personal data that it will take steps to move the burden of privacy off individual users and act in a responsible and transparent manner to establish and strengthen the existing privacy protections.

“We’re committed to delivering robust privacy protections for people who use our products, and we will continue to look for new ways to strengthen and improve these protections”. Jen Fitzpatrick wrote in the blog post.