The Michigan Senate has passed a bill aimed at protecting reproductive health data from being tracked and sold without consent. The Reproductive Health Data Privacy Act, introduced by Senator Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak), addresses concerns that many women were unaware their data were being collected by health apps, leaving it vulnerable to misuse. “I think a lot of the perception is that, because this is medical data, my voluntarily entering it into a service means that my data is protected, and far too often, that is not the case,” McMorrow said during a floor speech.
The bill prohibits entities from collecting or processing an individual’s reproductive health data without informed consent and restricts its use to specified purposes agreed upon by the user. However, the legislation received criticism from Republican Senators. Senator John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs) argued that portions of the bill, including restrictions on tracking geographic location data, would violate First Amendment rights and restrict religious freedoms.
Protecting reproductive health data privacy
Damoose explained that the bill’s limitations on geofencing could prevent anti-abortion groups from targeting individuals near abortion clinics with advertisements. The bill was passed in the state Senate with a vote of 20-16, lacking Republican support.
Right to Life of Michigan voiced opposition, suggesting that the bill could limit reproductive options for women by restricting the advertising efforts of pregnancy help centers near abortion clinics. Geneiveve Marnon, Legislative Director of Right to Life of Michigan, claimed the bill would make abortion seem like the only option for women experiencing unplanned pregnancies. Senator McMorrow countered that the bill does not prevent anti-abortion groups from using other advertising methods, such as billboards or mailers.
She emphasized that the focus is on preventing the misuse or tracking of a person’s location data to ensure privacy during medical consultations. The legislation now advances to the Michigan House for further consideration.
