Bill protects against techno-stalkers
Do you trust technology companies to keep your personal information safe? What about to collect, record and sell your geographic location at any moment? Would you stake your life on that trust? Many of us do so on a daily basis without ever considering the repercussions. Unfortunately, for survivors of intimate partner violence, data intrusion represents a considerable risk to the safety of themselves, their friends and their families.
Such unanticipated and unwanted sharing of geolocation information has had disastrous consequences for survivors of intimate-partner violence. According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, stalkers are increasingly utilizing technology to stalk their intimate partners prior, during and after committing sexual violence.
The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, conducted by the Center for Disease Control, estimates that 1 in 6 women and 1 in 19 men in the U.S. will experience stalking at some point during their lifetime. As new technology figures more and more prominently in intimate partner violence, victim services organizations are struggling to keep pace in order to protect survivors' data privacy.
The Geolocation Privacy Protection Act, aimed to protect the data privacy of all Illinois residents, has been sitting on Gov. Rauner's desk awaiting approval for over a month. The bill, passed on June 27 by the General Assembly, would require all technology companies that wish to collect your geolocation information to obtain your consent prior to doing so. It's that simple.
Your safety is important. The safety of survivors is important. Please ask Governor Rauner to sign HB 3449 and protect Illinois residents' private geographic location information.
Angela Rose, Founder and Executive Director
Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment (PAVE)