Inside the U.S. Government-Bought Tool That Can Track Phones at Abortion Clinics

samleecole writes: Privacy advocates gained access to a powerful tool bought by U.S. law enforcement agencies that can track smartphone locations around the world. Abortion clinics, places of worship, and individual people can all be monitored without a warrant.

An investigation into tracking tool Locate X shows in the starkest terms yet how it and others — based on smartphone location data sold to various U.S. government law enforcement agencies, including state entities — could be used to monitor abortion clinic patients. This comes as more states contemplate stricter or outright bans on abortion. Alabama wants to prosecute people who help others get abortions out of state, Idaho and Tennessee have passed “abortion trafficking” laws that have been blocked by courts from going into effect but which anti-abortion politicians want revived, and cities in Texas have considered an unconstitutional law that would ban people from using city roads for traveling to get an abortion. Last month, Texas attorney general Ken Paxton sued to block federal privacy rules that stop investigators from accessing the medical records of people who travel out of the state to seek an abortion.

It also comes before a U.S. election in which access to abortion is on the ballot in 10 states, including Florida, and is one of the most important issues in the presidential election.