Roe, state legislation + a digital dragnet
Without a right to privacy, we are all vulnerable
Whatever your views on abortion are ā views you are perfectly entitled to ā you need to understand the dangers posed by activist district attorneys today.
If you want to understand just how far an activist DA will go to ruin a life, even in ostensibly liberal California, start with the story of Frank Carson. Carson, an extremely talented defense attorney, had his life ruined simply because he annoyed the local authorities. He is dead today, gone far too soon, because his legal ordeal destroyed his health.
Now consider women ā many of them without adequate resources ā and how they would fare against a well-oiled legal machine that brands them as āmurderersā AND has access to their ample digital footprints.
As Iāve argued before, in a post-Roe United States, period tracking apps pose a danger. I explained how. They are just the tip of the iceberg as far as oneās digital footprint is concerned. Once the law has trained its eyes on you, anything is fair game ā from your Google searches to any text message conversation youāve had with a jealous ex whoād turn you in because you dumped him last year or whatever.
People who think that theyāre safe simply because theyād never have an abortion are kidding themselves. I grew up in a part of the country that used to be very conservative. Iāve seen conservative women victimized by their husbands and boyfriends and even their parents. When a legal window opens and makes someone vulnerable, bad actors will exploit that window.
I am not qualified to give legal advice, but as a digital safety expert, I need you to go through your friend lists and group chats and see if thereās someone who doesnāt belong. I need you to invest in a VPN. I need you to consider the myriad of ways in which your smartphone is tracking you today. I donāt want to make you paranoid, but I hope you will be vigilant.
I believe that one of the fundamental problems in the United States today is that a lot of people simply donāt view women as fully human. Weāre seen as āvesselsā and āhelpmeetsā and that attitude is dangerous to any woman, regardless of her own views, her political leanings, and her spiritual beliefs. Take that concept and consider it in light of our extremely flawed criminal justice system. Understand that by destroying a constitutional right to privacy, the robed priests in our nationās highest court have created a recipe for suffering and even death.

My own beliefs are simple. I donāt think anyone is entitled to anyone elseās organs. If youād die without my kidney, the state canāt force me to give it to you ā that would be wrong. Iām saying this as a mother to a very wanted child, whom I would do anything to protect.
Iāve appreciated the discussion on the digital dragnet we have inadvertently created, and I will keep you updated with my thoughts and any and all potential solutions to the current problem.
In the meantime, stay safe and well. And thank you so much for subscribing.
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