Final week, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) wrote a letter urging the Federal Commerce Fee (FTC) to handle misleading practices within the Digital Non-public Community (VPN) business. Eshoo and Wyden’s letter comes as individuals look to cover their digital footprint following the Supreme Courtroom’s choice to overturn Roe v. Wade.
A VPN permits a consumer to ascertain an encrypted connection between their gadget and a non-public server, making it tougher for third events to entry their on-line exercise. With abortion turning into unlawful or restricted in a number of states, extra individuals need to conceal their messages and search historical past, as police can use this info to prosecute somebody in search of the process.
Of their letter, Eshoo and Wyden ask the FTC to clamp down on VPN suppliers that have interaction in misleading promoting, or make false assertions concerning the vary of their service’s privateness. The lawmakers cite analysis from Client Reviews that point out 75 % of the most well-liked VPNs “misrepresented their merchandise” or made deceptive claims that would give “abortion-seekers a false sense of safety.” Eshoo and Wyden additionally name consideration to stories accusing varied VPN companies of misusing consumer knowledge, in addition to “an absence of sensible instruments or impartial analysis to audit VPN suppliers’ safety claims.”
“With abortion unlawful or quickly to be unlawful in 13 states and severely restricted in lots of extra, these abusive and exploitative knowledge practices are merely unacceptable,” the letter reads. “We urge the Federal Commerce Fee (FTC) to take speedy motion… to curtail abusive and misleading knowledge practices in corporations offering VPN companies to guard web customers in search of abortions.” Eshoo and Wyden additionally ask that the FTC develop a brochure that informs anybody in search of an abortion about on-line privateness, in addition to outlines the dangers and advantages of utilizing a VPN.
Earlier this month, the FTC reaffirmed that it’ll take motion in opposition to corporations that illegally share well being, location, and different delicate knowledge, whereas President Joe Biden signed an govt order to guard affected person privateness. Different entities have additionally taken motion in gentle of the Supreme Courtroom’s ruling, with Google promising to auto-delete location knowledge related to visits to abortion clinics.