Google, which did not return The Chronicle's requests for comment, said last summer that the number of "geofence" warrants it received had soared to 11,554 in 2020, up from 8,396 the year before and 982 in 2018. It did not say how often it complies with these warrants that ask for information on anyone who was in a specific area at certain times. — Technology phone photo created by jannoon028 - www.freepik.com
A woman looks online for information about abortion pills. Soon, there's a knock on the door. Local authorities had subpoenaed Google for all such searches performed in their jurisdiction.
Another woman visits a friend who is suspected of performing illegal abortions. Police find the woman through a "geofence" warrant that harvests data on smartphone users who were in the friend's vicinity.
