Anti-choice tech stalking: Activists are using GPS to track women entering Planned Parenthood
A new investigative report from Sharona Coutts at Rewire exposed how anti-choice groups, including at least one adoption agency, were resorting to using a technology called "geofencing" to find and then target individuals they believe are considering abortion, with targeted ads.
Two groups, a clearinghouse that operates many crisis pregnancy centers and a large adoption agency called Bethany Christian Services, were reported to have hired Copley Advertising to provide them with this targeted advertising service through user's smartphones.
Whilst there is only evidence of such services being used to send targeted ads to individuals found in the selected areas, i.e. Planned Parenthood and "high-risk areas, there are concerns that this technology could be used create an digital profile of a person by linking the information, i.e. their phone’s ID, to others sources of data such as age, gender, location, and other databases.
Date published: 26 May 2016