Google to remove location data of users visiting abortion clinics after Roe v. Wade reversal

Google wants to ensure the privacy of its users who visit abortion clinics following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

The company announced in a blog post on Friday that it will automatically remove location data from users who visit medical facilities such as abortion clinics, fertility centers, domestic violence shelters, counseling centers, and more.

The information was described as "particularly personal," and the decision was made in the hope of avoiding legal problems for search engine users as states continue to implement abortion bans and restrictions.

"Today, we are announcing that if our systems identify that someone has visited one of these places, we will remove these entries from 'Location History' shortly after the visit," wrote Jen Fitzpatrick, Google's senior vice president of core systems and experiences. 

"We are committed to providing strong privacy protections for the people who use our products, and we will continue to look for new ways to strengthen and improve these protections," he added.

Although Google did not detail its future response to law enforcement requests for information, the company emphasized that it "will continue to oppose demands that are overly broad or legally objectionable."

President Joe Biden previously doubled down on his support for pro-choice and announced on Thursday at a press conference in Madrid that he will have news to share after meeting with some governors this weekend.

"The most important thing that needs to be clear I think is that we need to codify Roe v. Wade into law," he said firmly. "The way to do that is to make sure that Congress votes to do it, and if the filibuster gets in the way, it's like [with] voting rights: we should provide an exception to that ... requiring an exception to the filibuster so that this action to deal with the Supreme Court decision."

The 6-3 ruling last month reversed nearly 50 years of precedent, giving states the power to pass their own abortion laws. Since the decision, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, and South Dakota have already banned abortion in their states after implementing trigger laws that governors enacted following the SCOTUS ruling.

Since then, protests have erupted across the country, and Biden, 79, has spoken out against the ruling, which he called "the realization of an extreme ideology and a tragic mistake by the Supreme Court."

The decision comes after the SCOTUS opinion was leaked to Politico in May. Since then, a CNN poll found that 66 percent of Americans did not want Roe v. Wade overturned.