We Keep Our Data Safe

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, a deluge of articles warned people to delete their menstrual tracking apps. While these technologies can be useful for those seeking (or avoiding) pregnancy, these apps have come under fire in the past for selling intimate data to social media sites. With the changing legal landscape, privacy experts pointed out that this data could be used to criminalize people seeking abortions. Proponents of forced birth also recognize this potential, and are working to ensure that menstrual data remains open to search warrants. Turning this data into a site of political contestation raises questions of collective response beyond the limits of bodily autonomy. 

It’s become normalized for data about our bodies and actions to be collected, quantified, and sold on the market. Facial recognition and body scans have become necessary to travel. Employer health insurance can require divulging health information from blood pressure to sexual...