With digital evidence increasingly used in abortion-related prosecutions, and sexual and reproductive health content deliberately censored, activists find themselves operating in an increasingly hostile environment. Sexual and reproductive justice (SRJ) defenders are facing growing risks of surveillance and consequently are having to adapt how they work to protect themselves and the people they support.
The SRJ landscape, and the strategies activists use to navigate it, must be seen in the context of a global rollback of reproductive rights. For example, following the overturn of Roe v. Wade in the United States there has been a stark rise in surveillance and criminalisation. Governments are exerting control over access to abortion information and care on the Web, including blocking websites and surveilling people’s online activity.
Law enforcement officials have also seized personal electronic devices and used digital evidence while investigating people seeking abortion care in states or countries where it is restricted or criminalised. At the same time, those in opposition to abortion are increasingly using technology and data exploitative tactics to suppress and curtail access to abortion, for example by targeting people seeking sexual and reproductive healthcare with fake ads.
SRJ activists operating in legally restrictive environments face heightened risk of surveillance by law enforcement and nefarious actors. As a result, they are forced to rethink how they conduct their work and activism online to protect themselves and the individuals they assist. To address this, PI and WoW developed a practical guide offering guidance to SRJ activists.
To better understand these realities, we conducted a survey in 2024 with SRJ activists to understand the types of technologies and platforms they use to conduct their work, as well as their privacy concerns and their prior experiences of surveillance. The survey explored: the nature of the privacy threats they face, the measures they were taking to address these, the technology (tools, devices, platforms) they and their organisations use, and the platforms of communication on which they rely to contact individuals.
The primary aim was to identify areas of concern that could inform the development of educational materials, as well as to guide further research and advocacy at the intersection of reproductive justice and digital privacy.
The survey was available to SRJ activists over the age of 18, working individually or as part of an organisation to provide reproductive and sexual health information and/or services. More than one person per organisation was able to respond and it was available in both Spanish and English. The survey was circulated both to organisations within WoW and PI’s own networks and more widely, to organisations and individuals working across the global SRJ sector. Respondents to the survey were based across the world: in Europe, South America, Africa, and Asia.
While the final number of survey respondents was limited, the detailed information contained within respondents' submissions nevertheless gave us many valuable insights into their concerns. One respondent reflected how, ‘this survey has been thought-provoking, and I think I would appreciate training on data privacy as an individual and a member of an organization working on reproductive justice issues.’
We also recognise that, given current threats to SRJ activists and the current global rights landscape, activists may feel uncomfortable or wary of sharing information about their work.
Most respondents to the survey stated that they used their own personal devices to conduct their work, with 81% of respondents using their personal mobile phone, and 75% using their personal laptop or computer. Yet approximately half of the respondents had received no formal training on how to protect their devices.
This widespread use of personal devices to conduct such sensitive work raises a number of concerns and highlights the need for improved training and guidance for activists to protect their privacy online.
Though most activists made use of basic privacy enhancing measures, such as two-factor authentication and password managers, virtual private networks (VPNs) were less popular, with just 24% of respondents reporting that either they or their organisation used one.
Regarding communication platforms, most activists reported using encrypted platforms to communicate with colleagues or other activists. When communicating with the public, however, most communicated via email (88%), social media (50%) and/or unencrypted messaging apps (38%). Furthermore, when asked if they took any extra privacy measures when posting on social media, such as posting in private groups, disabling location settings, or ensuring individuals were not personally identifiable, most respondents (76%) either did not take any measures or were unsure.
Regarding surveillance, 63% of respondents shared fears of being surveilled, with additional comments reflecting that these fears correlated with working somewhere where abortion is criminalised. Among those worried about surveillance, most were concerned about surveillance from opposition groups/adversaries (44%), government actors (38%) and/or law enforcement (38%). One respondent mentioned how feminist groups had been subject to government surveillance in Mexico, and several respondents raised concerns about opposition groups, particularly regarding harassment on social media.
Given that many SRJ activists directly assist members of the public in their work, we asked if such individuals had raised concerns about the processing of their data by governments and companies, or other third parties. 75% of respondents answered affirmatively, with the most common concerns centring on how health data would be stored, who had access to it, and if it could be deleted.
Additional comments frequently addressed the difficulties of working in grassroots organisations: struggles with funding and a lack of resources to implement some of the privacy measures discussed. Respondents also reflected on the importance of protecting the security of their colleagues and the individuals they support within the context of increasing criminalisation of their activities.
Based on these findings, alongside our organisations' existing research and expertise, we have developed a guide for SRJ activists to help protect their privacy online and on their devices. It includes steps you can take to help protect your privacy while using social media and messaging apps, as well as measures to help secure your devices and minimise online tracking, including how to use features like disposable email addresses and VPNs.
The guide is evergreen by design and contains top level information that will remain relevant as features and technologies progress. However, the guide also contains links with up-to-date information and step-by-step guides on specific features, depending on the apps and devices you use.
We hope these measures will help SRJ activists to better manage the risks to which they are exposed, and equip them to protect themselves, their devices, and the people with whom they work online.
You can find the PDF guide attached on this page. Note that the guide can also be printed into a booklet format. We hope that you can distribute the guide within your networks.
This guide does not constitute legal advice.
Though this document provides guidance to manage the risks that activists may face, we encourage them to consider their physical and mental wellbeing when conducting their work, and seek further advice from relevant organisations where necessary.
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