Tor & DDF & Accountable Tech: How To Protect your Digital Safety Today

by Tor, Digital Defense Fund, Accountable Tech, and Repro Uncensored

As many U.S. states and countries around the world increasingly restrict abortion access, the urgency to ensure safe and open access to reproductive healthcare and abortion information online has never been greater.

Check out our guide on protecting your privacy while navigating reproductive healthcare and abortion access online! 

• 1. Use an encrypted messaging app

  Some messaging apps collect and store a lot of information from your private messages. If you’re messaging about sensitive topics like reproductive healthcare, be careful about how and with whom you’re sharing your information. That’s why we recommend using messaging apps with end-to-end encryption instead of regular text messages or social media apps. End-to-end encryption means your message is scrambled while it is being sent so no one else can read it.

  We recommend downloading and using the encrypted messaging application, Signal. Signal is an independent nonprofit, its code is made transparent, and the application is completely free to use.

  Signal is available for all platforms. To download, visit: signal.org. 

• 2. Use an anonymous browser

  Tor is a browser that allows people to surf the internet anonymously, helping you avoid surveillance and censorship. Tor works similarly to browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, but it does not reveal who you are or what websites you’re visiting to anyone monitoring your internet traffic.

  It achieves this by routing your internet activity through three random servers and encrypting (scrambling) it multiple times. 
  
  The safest and easiest way to download Tor Browser is from the official Tor Project website. For Windows, Mac, Linux, or Android, visit: torproject.org/download

• 3. Secure your internet connection

  When you connect to the internet, websites and applications can identify you through details like your device type, your IP address (which reveals your location), and more. Your internet provider can also see all the websites or apps you visit, and they may even block access to certain ones.
  

  To protect yourself, we recommend using one of the VPNs listed below. A VPN simply hides your online activity by routing your connection through a random server, making it much harder for bad actors or government agencies to censor or monitor what you do online.
  
  Please note that some of these options may require a subscription:

  • orbot.app (free)

  • mullvad.net

  • protonvpn.com

• 4. Protect your location data

  We carry our phones everywhere, which means our exact location is constantly tracked – either through the SIM card connecting to nearby cell towers, or through apps that record our location to deliver targeted ads. This location data can be accessed through police search warrants, which can be dangerous when we need to maintain privacy- especially for abortion access.

  In a recent case, police used cell phone data to investigate an Idaho woman and her son. That data helped police conclude that the mom, her son, and her son’s minor girlfriend were headed to the same abortion clinic in Oregon – where abortion is legal. This led to charges of kidnapping against the mother and son.

  We therefore recommend turning off location permissions for apps, and if possible, temporarily removing your SIM card when heading to sensitive locations like abortion clinics.

• 5. Turn off Google Maps’ location history

  Google Maps can still track and store your location whether you’re using an Android, iPhone, or computer. To disable this, sign in to your Google Account, go to Activity Dashboard, then Location History, then turn off both Web & App Activity and Location History.

Take action and get support

For general digital security support, you can contact:

Repro Legal Helpline in the US: www.reprolegalhelpline.org
Access Now’s helpline:  www.accessnow.org/help/ 

Share accurate  digital safety information with your community! Get trained by Tor and receive  technical support related to Tor, by reaching out Tor Project:

• Signal: +1 778-743-1312

Email:  training@torproject.org

Report an Incident with Repro Uncensored 

Repro Uncensored is a global coalition of reproductive health organizations, internet freedom advocates, and creatives dedicated to ensuring universal access to accurate information on reproductive health and abortion.

• If you or your organization have experienced suppression of content related to reproductive health and rights and/or abortion access, please report an incident via: reprouncensored.org/report-incident 

Contact the coalition at: info@reprouncensored.org