Discussion

• Vox Rani Molla on x

  5 ways abortion bans could hurt women in the workforce

• @ericuman Eric Umansky on x

  Wow, Facebook has *barred employees from talking about abortion* — because doing so has a “heightened risk of creating a hostile work environment.” https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @brookschambers Brooks on x

  In a country where people are forced to rely on employers for health care, some employers won't let you talk about health care at work. Absolutely deranged. https://twitter.com/...

• @rockshrimp @rockshrimp on x

  I'm sure the Free Speech brigade will be outraged. https://twitter.com/...

• @epro Emil Protalinski on x

  “discussing abortion openly at work has a heightened risk of creating a hostile work environment” discussing issues secretly creates a hostile environment https://twitter.com/...

• @rosalindzadams Rosalind Adams on x

  this will go over well i'm sure. https://twitter.com/...

• @dellcam @dellcam on x

  guess the real arbiter of truth is the soulless corp you meet along the way https://twitter.com/...

• @lars @lars on x

  Good luck with that, @Meta. https://twitter.com/...

• @nicole_bonoff Nicole Bonoff on x

  What a trash decision. FB HR got played hard over the years by a bunch of trolls who then left the company. Hope employees start a private Twitter Community so they can have the open discussion they want and deserve. https://www.nytimes.com/...

• @kantrowitz Alex Kantrowitz on x

  “Bring your whole self to work” is officially dead https://twitter.com/...

• @techwontsaveus @techwontsaveus on x

  “Meta told its workers on Friday not to openly discuss the Supreme Court's ruling eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion on wide-reaching communication channels inside the company.” https://www.nytimes.com/...

• @antoniocasilli Casilli on x

  Are we supposed to believe that Facebook and Instagram are about users' freedom of expression, when they infringe basic rights of their workers, like to engage in free speech and to participate in debates—which are tenants of the freedom of association? https://www.nytimes.com/..…

• @jason_kint Jason Kint on x

  I thought they just needed to make sure the viewable content of the channels was split 50/50 so they didn't experience the wrath of Joel? https://twitter.com/...

• @jkbibliophile Jessica Khoury on x

  Delete your period tracking apps today.

• @evacide Eva on x

  The difference between now and the last time that abortion was illegal in the United States is that we live in an era of unprecedented digital surveillance.

• @evacide Eva on x

  If tech companies don't want to have their data turned into a dragnet against people seeking abortions and people providing abortion support, they need to stop collecting that data now. Don't have it for sale. Don't have it when a subpoena arrives.

• @evacide Eva on x

  Search data matters. Location data matters. Health data matters. Contact lists and friend lists matter. The contents of messages matter and so does the meta-data. If you work in tech, this is what you should be protecting right now.

• @lydiadepillis Lydia DePillis on x

  This is what it actually means to criminalize abortion. I am not sure America is prepared for the level of invasive policing that women are about to endure. https://www.newyorker.com/... via @jiatolentino https://twitter.com/...

• @brettstoelker @brettstoelker on x

  I know a lot of women who use period tracking apps are very concerned about their privacy with #RoeVWadeOverturned. Being the great majority use an iPhone, the Health app has an encrypted/offline tracker.⤵️ Sources: https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... https://support.apple.com/..…

• @markruffalo Mark Ruffalo on x

  Forget Big Brother. Big Patriarch is watching. “These companies need to think very long and hard about the ways in which their platforms will be weaponized to criminalize people looking to access abortion healthcare...and ensure that it doesn't happen.” https://www.theguardian.co…

• @hypervisible @hypervisible on x

  Despite growing calls “no major tech companies as of Friday afternoon had made public statements on how they will handle such data and respond to related law enforcement requests moving forward.” https://www.theguardian.com/ ...

• @ccdhate @ccdhate on x

  “These companies need to think very long and hard about the ways in which their platforms will be weaponized to criminalize people looking to access abortion healthcare, and they need to ensure that it doesn't happen” Our CEO @Imi_Ahmed. https://www.theguardian.com/ ...

• @kevincollier Kevin Collier on x

  Seeing more calls today to delete your period-tracking apps. But experts say that if you look at how states have already brought evidence in abortion-related cases, the *much* bigger concern is unsecured, unencrypted communications & stored search history. https://www.nbcnews.com…

• @jamiejbartlett Jamie Bartlett on x

  We build data collection systems for one reason - the law then changes and they are then used in new & unexpected ways. Time and again. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...

• @clintsmithiii Clint Smith on x

  “Both abortion and miscarriage currently occur more than a million times each year in America, and the two events are often clinically indistinguishable. As such, prohibition states will have a profoundly invasive interest in differentiating between them.” https://www.newyorker.c…

• @hannahswiv Hannah Swithinbank on x

  This is well worth reading, I think, to begin to get your head around the scale of harm that is likely to be done policing the overturning of legal abortion. https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @carnage4life Dare Obasanjo on x

  Tech companies cannot to save you from unjust laws. The government can subpoena Uber for anyone who got a ride near an abortion clinic, Microsoft for anyone who emailed them or Google for anyone who used maps/search to get there. Don't use your phone if you're going to do this. h…

• @mariafarrell Maria Farrell on x

  Keep in mind that Roe v Wade was based on an already tenuous US constitutional right to privacy, THAT's why tech companies spout this milquetoast BS about protecting their own, already privileged employees while spying on vulnerable people and selling the data to law enforcement …

• @ekp Ellen K. Pao on x

  If you run a tech company but haven't examined your policies to make sure your data can't be used to harm your workers and customers, you need to prioritize it now before causing more harm. Context: laws against abortion, same-sex marriage, transphobia, xenophobia, racism, ... ht…

• @lazerwalker @lazerwalker on x

  A concrete reminder about period tracker data, as people are urging you to delete your apps: Apple Health data is safe from the threat model of the government demanding data from Apple in a PRISM-style secret order. IF AND ONLY IF you disable iCloud Backups of health data.

• @doree Doree Shafrir on x

  Yes delete your period app. But also don't arrange rides for people to get abortions on Facebook. Don't google “where to get an abortion” if you live in Texas. Don't go to a protest unmasked. The privacy violations that are coming go so much deeper than period apps.

• @ziripena @ziripena on x

  Did you know that Facebook will know that you are pregnant before you will? Tracking apps aren't the only way to know. This is why keeping our DATA private in all forms is important.

• @sylviaviridian @sylviaviridian on x

  To be clearer: your app data is not private. if your menstruation pattern is disrupted, and an app knows about it, prosecutors can use that as evidence against you in court https://twitter.com/...

• @rakeshlobster Rakesh Agrawal on x

  Don't capture the data. If you don't record it, you can't turn it over. Drop sensitive locations and searches. This hoarding mentality tech companies have can have bad real world consequences. https://twitter.com/...

• @nameshiv @nameshiv on x

  we all know how this is gonna play out, tech companies will be lining up to break bank off it in red states while issuing press releases about their deep belief in right to choose in blue ones https://twitter.com/...

• @aclu @aclu on x

  It's scary, but not a hypothetical threat. In 2017, an online search for abortion medication was used to charge a woman with second-degree murder. In 2015, a woman's text messages about ordering abortion medication contributed to her conviction. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ..…

• @evan_greer Evan Greer on x

  I do not want to see a single tech company say a goddamn thing about Dobbs unless it's that they're going to immediately stop lobbying against privacy laws, stop collecting sensitive data, encrypt messaging & refuse to comply w/ law enforcement requests targeting abortion seekers

• @lauren_feiner Lauren Feiner on x

  With Roe v. Wade overturned, tech cos could increasingly be forced by courts to hand over data in cases involving abortions or pregnancy loss — whether they want to or not. Some advocates say platforms can and should do more to protect that data. https://www.cnbc.com/...

• @perkinsjanie Janie Perkins on x

  Ladies of childbearing years. Please remove all references to menstruation from social media, period apps, calendars on your phones or computers. Buy a paper calendar if you can't remember when you last had a period and then HIDE the damn thing. We are officially living in hell. …

• @can @can on x

  The fact that most of this surveillance exists to serve shitty ads is the most depressing thing of it all. https://twitter.com/...

• @fightfortheftr @fightfortheftr on x

  THREAD: in wake of Roe repeal, lawmakers and tech companies must take immediate steps to protect abortion patients, providers, and activists from surveillance and censorship. Or, full statement: https://www.fightforthefuture.org/ ...

• @f_kaltheuner Frederike Kaltheuner on x

  Something is sinking in today: Privacy is a time-shifted risk, meaning - what is convenient and risk-free today, can have devastating consequences tomorrow. We should design the technologies we depend on in ways that protect us - no matter the political climate. @hrw https://twit…

• @bwjones Bryan William Jones on x

  I know physicians (radiologists) who are no longer going to note the presence of IUDs on radiology reports because of todays SCOTUS decision. https://twitter.com/...

• @jsrailton John Scott-Railton on x

  Tech worker: take the blinders off about the surveillance & tracking technologies you're helping to build. And step away. The writing is on the wall. And please, read @evacide's full thread. https://twitter.com/...

• @ncweaver Nicholas Weaver on x

  Don't keep it. Period. Because there will be warrants and subpoenas if the data exists. And ideally, don't even collect it. Because there will be prospective warrants and subpoenas for when the data comes in. https://twitter.com/...

• @geoffreyfowler Geoffrey A. Fowler on x

  “I don't care about privacy. I have nothing to hide.” Today's Roe ruling is a scary reminder that our era of near-complete digital surveillance has serious consequences well beyond annoying ads. Any data a company collects, the government can grab, too. https://www.washingtonpost…

• @insomniacgames @insomniacgames on x

  https://twitter.com/...

• @tonyajoriley Tonya Riley on x

  Multiple tech companies are saying they'll pay for employees to travel for abortions. (Employees who probably already have resources to do so unlike many Americans.) I've heard zero about how these companies intend to protect user data from being used to criminalize abortion.

• @markgurman Mark Gurman on x

  Apple on ruling: “We support our employees' rights to make their own decisions regarding their reproductive health. For more than a decade, Apple's comprehensive benefits have allowed our employees to travel out-of-state for medical care if it is unavailable in their home state.”

• @dannyderaney Danny Deraney on x

  The list grows. Over 50 companies have now come out in support of pro choice, most of have come forward to pay for travel costs. https://twitter.com/...

• @billgates Bill Gates on x

  This is a sad day. Reversing Roe v. Wade is an unjust and unacceptable setback. And it puts women's lives at risk, especially the most disadvantaged.

• @fortunemagazine @fortunemagazine on x

  14.7% of employers plan to make a statement about their stance on abortion following the Supreme Court decision, according to a new survey. https://fortune.com/...

• @amy_siskind Amy Siskind on x

  Support companies that support women's rights: Patagonia will pay to bail out employees arrested in abortion protests. https://www.axios.com/...

• @rmac18 Ryan Mac on x

  Meta/Facebook employees are being reminded of a policy not to discuss abortion on companywide channels on Friday. Managers are being told the company to be empathetic to distressed employees but to remain neutral. https://www.nytimes.com/...

• @genepark Gene Park on x

  “Stick to games” forgets that studios like Insomniac and Bungie are American companies, with executives and employees affected by these American decisions. https://twitter.com/...

• @taniel @taniel on x

  “Unlike... prior to Roe, law enforcement now has more powerful ways to surveil and build their cases against pregnant people and abortion providers—by monitoring period tracking apps, social media posts, online message boards, and text messages.” https://theappeal.org/...

• @jeffjarvis Jeff Jarvis on x

  This is good. But note that the ruling is a perverse form of gerrymandering: red states get redder as reasonable people leave. Here's Google's letter saying employees can relocate to states with abortion rights https://www.theverge.com/... via @Verge

• @jazzt Jazz Tangcay on x

  Women friends, before you do anything else, DELETE THAT PERIOD TRACKING APP. Go old skool, grab a pen, a calendar and write it down. How period tracking apps and data privacy fit into a post-Roe v. Wade climate https://www.npr.org/...

• @britnidwrites Britni Danielle on x

  As someone who uses a period tracking app (cuz keeping track by paper is ANNOYING), this is frightening. They may be used to prosecute people for having an abortion, miscarriage, etc. https://www.npr.org/...

• @clairecmc Claire McCaskill on x

  I applaud these companies. But seriously makes me sick to my stomach that women have to go to their employer with the most difficult and private decision in their lives. https://twitter.com/...

• @dynarski Prof Dynarski on x

  THE FREE MARKET STEPS IN just gotta pick the right employer ladies https://twitter.com/...

• @sachalouise Sacha Haworth on x

  “To the extent permitted by law” You cowards. https://twitter.com/...

• @anandwrites @anandwrites on x

  That's nice, @meta, but your platforms also helped make this possible. https://twitter.com/...

• @leylblack @leylblack on x

  @xpangler @Meta The time for @Meta to protect abortion was 2016, when they allowed Russia and the Trump campaign to spew disinformation through the Facebook platform, and thus win the election and appoint 3 right-wing zealots to the court. Spare me.

• @kkomaitis @kkomaitis on x

  @xpangler ... It is of outmost importance that they also stop collecting data - health, location, search - anything that would help identify women who are seeking abortions. The level of responsibility for tech companies has completely changed!!

• @slnash4u @slnash4u on x

  @xpangler @Meta Perhaps they should simply pledge no more business with said states. Companies do have a say in where they do business.

• @msbrumfield Cynthia Brumfield on x

  @xpangler @Meta Nice sentiment but what this means is that any pregnant Meta employee who lives in a state that outlaws abortion, and potentially outlaws traveling to get an abortion, will have to tell their employer, who is subject to subpoenas and warrants by prosecutors and la…

• @rmac18 @rmac18 on x

  This goes far beyond tech companies. Auto companies (who track location data) and telecoms come to mind.

• @allenholub Allen Holub on x

  Frankly, if you work for Google or Facebook or any other company in the business of digital surveillance, you are actively supporting the hunting down and persecution of women. The only safe path is to not collect the data to begin with. You have a moral and ethical choice.

• @xpangler Todd Spangler on x

  Statement from @Meta spokesperson: “We intend to offer travel expense reimbursements, to the extent permitted by law, for employees who will need them to access out-of-state health care and reproductive services.”

• @rmac18 @rmac18 on x

  Also worth noting that the country's two richest people, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have said nothing publicly either. They've been outspoken on other political topics in the past.

• @stephennellis Stephen Nellis on x

  I have deleted an earlier inaccurate tweet in which I had said Apple never publicly confirmed its travel policy after the Texas abortion law passed. In fact, Apple did confirm that policy to Tech Crunch very shortly after it sent a memo employees - https://techcrunch.com/...

• @alphabetworkers @alphabetworkers on x

  Also if Google truly cared about reproductive justice they would stop bankrolling politicians attacking abortion access..... https://twitter.com/...

• @twilio @twilio on x

  In response to today's SCOTUS ruling, Twilio is taking these steps to support our employees and to support reproductive healthcare rights around the world. https://twitter.com/...

• @nycmayor Mayor Eric Adams on x

  Despite the reckless decision by extremists on the Supreme Court, Americans aren't backing down. Thank you to companies like Goldman Sachs, Disney, and more for standing up for reproductive rights. We need all hands on deck for the fight to come. https://variety.com/...

• @daphnehk Daphne Keller on x

  @TonyaJoRiley ... I was thinking more about risking creating liability for themselves or their users.

• @tonyajoriley Tonya Riley on x

  @daphnehk ... I understand your point to an extent but I'm not asking for extremely technical details. A company can express or decline to express a public commitment to protecting data without revealing processes

• @daphnehk Daphne Keller on x

  @wbm312 ... Some viable strategies for protecting users might include not telling reporters.

• @tonyajoriley Tonya Riley on x

  @daphnehk ... Ah yeah that's an important point!

• @tonyajoriley Tonya Riley on x

  So far the most I've gotten is a “no comment.” https://www.cyberscoop.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @rmac18 Ryan Mac on x

  Here's some political stances he's taken in the past as told by his profile photos [Image that shows a compilation of Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook profile photo badges, including badges on the COVID-19 vaccine, DACA, and the LGBT movement]

• @rmac18 Ryan Mac on x

  American society puts a lot of stake in what its business leaders say during big political or cultural moments. Given that, here's what Mark Zuckerberg posted today. [Screen capture of Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook post on Meta's partnership with UT Austin]

• @daveyalba Davey Alba on x

  Misinformation peddlers are opportunists. I wrote about the surge of misinformation about abortion last month when the DRAFT of the Supreme Court ruling was leaked. Expect that the volume will be even higher now that it's officially come down https://www.bloomberg.com/...

• @tribelsocial @tribelsocial on x

  (1 of 8) The blame lies SQUARELY at Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg's feet. Today, the extremist, far-right Supreme Court ended abortion rights for women... ushering in a new era of fascist, anti-women attacks by far-right politicians. How did we get here? The answer is simple...

• @ninaburleigh Nina Burleigh on x

  This is good, but they shouldn't just cover employees. They have enough $$ to pool resources and help American poor women who will be in back alleys BLEEDING OUT. #RoeVWade https://variety.com/...

• @snowden Edward Snowden on x

  Listen to her. https://twitter.com/...

• @benioff Marc Benioff on x

  I believe CEOs have a responsibility to take care of their employees—no matter what. Salesforce moves employees when they feel threatened or experience discrimination. To our Ohana—we always make sure you have the best benefits & care, & we will always have your back. Always. ❤️

• @stevekovach Steve Kovach on x

  The overwhelming response from Corporate America: We'll pay for our employees to travel out of state for an abortion if needed.

• @rmac18 Ryan Mac on x

  Have to wonder how Google, Meta (Facebook), Amazon, other technology companies respond to subpoenas around future abortion law enforcement in certain states. https://twitter.com/...

• @b_fung Brian Fung on x

  Tech giants including Meta, Microsoft and Netflix have vowed to financially support employees (or in some cases, their dependents) traveling to seek abortions in wake of today's Supreme Court ruling. Here's what the companies are saying. https://twitter.com/...

• @exxhibitj Josh on x

  For ppl saying this is performative, what else do you expect these companies to do? Rewrite the constitution? They are doing what they can to try to help and I commend them for it. https://twitter.com/...

• @lesliemac Leslie Mac on x

  ALL These companies support & donate to anti-abortion candidates. https://twitter.com/...