How safe are VPNs, when the risk for a lack of anonymity could be pene severe? We are not talking about hardened criminals but of women in the United States seeking to practice abortion law, after it became illegal in many states. Two Democratic parliamentarians then asked for clarity on Virtual Private Network (VPN), that would risk creating problems for the women who use them thinking they are safer than they actually are.
Are VPNs safe? The right to abortion in the US and online privacy
The US Supreme Court decision to quash the decision “Roe v. Wade “which until a few weeks ago sanctioned the right to abortion in the USA, it is having enormous consequences. Several Republican-majority US states have already restricted or made abortion illegal, although it is a right supported by the majority of Americans. And although the number of women seeking termination of pregnancy is not decreasing.
In fact, several women and families are staying looking for states and hospitals where the practice is still legal, they are contacting structures and associations in support of the autonomy of the female body. And of course they are doing it over the internet. Self Google announced that it will automatically delete the history of those seeking information on abortion clinics, many use VPN for safer browsing. But am I really?
The doubts of the US Parliament
The deputy Anna Eshoo (California Democrat) and the Senator Ron Wyden (Democrat from Oregon) wrote a letter to the FTC, the Federal Trade Commission, to investigate VPN practices. According to American politicians, in fact, who manages the VPN advertises a level of security that they fail to maintain.
Lawmakers cite a Consumer Reports study indicating that the 75% of the most popular VPNs promise a higher level of security than reality. And this leads “those who try to practice abortion to have a misplaced sense of security”. Additionally, they report recent allegations of some VPNs for selling user data. And they complain about a “lack of practical tools or independent research to evaluate the promises on VPN security“.
For Eshoo and Wyden, the alleged lack of security becomes unbearable after recent Supreme Court decisions. “With abortion already illegal or that will become illegal in 13 states and many more that severely restrict itthese abusive practices become simply unbearable ”.
More clarity and safety for patients
So they ask the FTC to analyze the deedVPNs to test whether they are actually safe for women intending abortion counseling. They also invite you to create a brochure that clearly informs about online privacyto prevent women from placing their trust badly.
President Joe Biden recently signed an executive order to protect privacy din patients seeking an abortion procedure. And several tech companies have signed up to a pledge to protect women during these troubled times.
More careful handling of personal data does not solve the shocking decision of the Supreme Court, which was immediately caved in by several American states. But it allows you to protect the right to privacy for patients, which at least for now remains a guaranteed right at the federal level in America.
We will keep you updated on this story.