PremiumGoogle announced in a blog post that it would remove location history data about some ‘particularly personal’ places from a Google account shortly after someone visits
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In the wake of the controversial overturning of the Roe versus Wade judgement in the United States, many big corporates have come forward to help women. These companies include Disney, Meta Platforms, Nike, Johnson & Johnson, online dating sites OkCupid and Bumble Inc , Netflix Inc and JPMorgan Chase and Co.
In the latest friendly addition, now Google has decided to remove all users' location history when they visit abortion clinics, domestic violence shelters.
The update comes days after the US Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that recognized a woman's constitutional right to an abortion.
The ruling handed a momentous victory to Republicans and religious conservatives who want to limit or ban the procedure.
On Friday, Google announced in a blog post that it would remove location history data about some "particularly personal" places from a Google account shortly after someone visits, TechCrunch reported.
Locations that will have their data deleted include "medical facilities like counseling centers, domestic violence shelters, abortion clinics, fertility centers, addiction treatment facilities, weight loss clinics, cosmetic surgery clinics, and others," according to the blog.
Google also noted that Fitbit users who use the device's companion software as a period tracker currently must delete those entries one by one, but an easier way to "delete multiple logs at once" is on the way.
The change to location history will go into effect in the next few weeks.
Other companies came forward to help their employees. Bellwether corporations from the worlds of finance, media, technology, and health care said they would bankroll travel for workers who need access to safe, legal abortions and other procedures.
Facebook has said it will reimburse travel expenses, “to the extent permitted by law, for employees who will need them to access out-of-state health care and reproductive services".
Microsoft Corp also said it would expand its healthcare reimbursement program to include travel if an employee could not access healthcare because it was not available nearby.
OTT platform Netflix added to this and promised that it would financially support employees that need to access health care outside their home state, mostly through their insurance plans.
Starbucks, Levi's Gucci, Zoom, Estee Lauder, Disney, Deutsche Bank, CitiGroup, Apple and Amazon have also vowed to help their employees seeking abortion.