LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer encouraged the leaders of the nation's top tech companies to take "immediate measures" Wednesday to protect users' data, suggesting the information could be used to prosecute women or medical professionals involved in abortions.
"We have already begun to see instances of private data used to prosecute women seeking health care," Whitmer and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, two Democrats, wrote in a letter. "Absent strong and transparent protections, such instances will erode trust in your platforms and products."
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which had provided access to abortion nationally. The decision revived abortion bans in some states and spurred fights over enacting new standards in others.
