Authorities use Facebook, Google-accessed data to fight abortion

Law enforcement agencies are turning to social media platforms to build cases to prosecute women seeking abortions or abortion-inducing medication.

This development followed implementation of abortion ban in some countries across the world.

Jessica Burgess and her daughter will reportedly stand trial in Nebraska for performing an illegal abortion — with a key piece of evidence provided by Meta.

According to report, Burgess allegedly helped her daughter find and take pills that would induce an abortion.

Commenting on the development, Meta said it responded to “valid legal warrants from local law enforcement” prior to the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned nationwide abortion rights and allowed for bans in some states.

 

“We comply with government requests for user information only where we have a good-faith belief that the law requires us to do so,” Meta stated.

“In addition, we assess whether a request is consistent with internationally recognized standards on human rights, including due process, privacy, free expression and the rule of law.

“When we do comply, we only produce information that is narrowly tailored to that request. If we determine that a request appears to be deficient or overly broad, we push back and will fight in court, if necessary. We do not provide governments with ‘back doors’ to people’s information”, the firm noted