Vice President Kamala Harris claimed Tuesday that overturning Roe v. Wade will empower pro-life states to “subpoena a woman’s personal data.”
Harris, a strong abortion advocate of many years, discussed the impending decision of Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a ruling that will likely overturn Roe v. Wade, during a roundtable on Tuesday.
Should the court overturn Roe v. Wade, the power to decide abortion laws will head back to the states, many of which have already enacted pro-life legislation.
“One is the issue of data privacy and the potential that if Roe is overturned, that states that have criminalized abortion could subpoena a woman’s personal data,” Harris said, before suggesting that women who use period-tracker apps may become subject to investigations.
At its core, Roe v. Wade recognizes the fundamental right to privacy.
When the right to privacy is attacked, anyone in our country may face a future where the government can interfere in their personal decisions.
Not just women. Anyone.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) May 4, 2022
“I want to talk to these experts about their concern and the level of their concern about that very issue, including, for example, the vulnerability of women who are using menstrual tracking apps,” she continued, “those who use a search engine to find certain locations or certain help, in terms of their reproductive health, and how vulnerable those searches will be to bad actors attempting to track their history, much less any government forces that may be interested in investigating that for whatever purpose.”
The vice president also brought up in vitro fertilization (IVF), saying that she is concerned that overturning Roe will empower pro-life states to “potentially restrict IVF if their definition of life begins at the point of fertilization.”
If the court overturns Roe v. Wade, it will be a direct assault on freedom.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) May 4, 2022
“And then on the issue of contraception, if Roe is overturned, we believe that states with abortion bans from the moment of fertilization could potentially restrict specific types of contraception — in particular, IUDs and the so-called morning-after pill,” she said. “And so, I’d like to talk with these experts about their thoughts, in terms of the legal theories that would be at play if that were to take place.”
“I do believe that overturning Roe could clear the way for challenges to other fundamental rights, including the right to use contraception and — and same-sex marriage,” the vice president added.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.