Simcoe Reformer e-edition

More Americans seek guidance for moving to Canada

U.S. citizens would be able to get abortions in Canada, Ottawa has said

COURTNEY GREENBERG

After the landmark Roe v. Wade decision was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court last week, there was a spike in online searches for “how to move to Canada from U.S.”

The phrase surged by 850 per cent in the hour after the ruling, Axios reported. The data came from a Google Trends newsletter on June 24. At the same time, it also revealed the search for “how to become a Canadian citizen” surged by 550 per cent.

In May, when a draft of the ruling leaked, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Karina Gould said Americans would be able to get an abortion in Canada. If they need access, she said in a CBC News Network interview, “that’s a service that would be provided.”

They would have to pay “out-ofpocket or by their own private insurance if they are not covered by a provincial health insurance, by the Interim Federal Health Program or Non-insured Health Benefits,” a spokesperson for Gould told CBC.

Those coming from the U.S. to Canada would also need money to travel and a passport — which vulnerable women “most likely” would not have, Bloor West Village Women’s Clinic counsellor Sheri Kreiger told Bloomberg.

“Certainly we’re open and here to help in any way we can, 100 per cent, that’s for sure, but at this moment we have no sense of what’s going to happen,” she said.

In Canada, abortions are less expensive than in the U.S., at around $500, whereas in Michigan, for example, an abortion could cost anywhere from US$600 to US$900, according to spokesperson for the Ontario Coalition for Abortion Clinics Carolyn Egan. Other than the price tag, another issue is accessibility. It’s possible that clinics could be overwhelmed, director of health promotion at Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights Frédérique Chabot told Bloomberg. She said wait times could become “insurmountable.”

Canadian women who previously might have travelled to the U.S. for an abortion will face even more barriers due to the Roe v. Wade reversal, especially if they do not live near a major city with ample abortion services.

“Please don’t say how relieved you are to be Canadian. Many Canadians experience restrictive barriers to access,” the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada tweeted.

Americans are now also concerned about data that can potentially be collected and sold by period tracker apps, which help women keep tabs on their menstrual cycles and ovulation. Many trackers also have a function that allows users to track pregnancy and calculate their due date. The data stored by the apps could potentially be shared with law enforcement, worried Americans have been saying online, with many social media users opting to delete them.

“If you think that your data showing when you last menstruated isn’t of interest to those who are about to outlaw abortion, whew do I have a wake up call for YOU,” wrote attorney and activist Elizebeth Mclaughlin on Twitter in May.

Another Twitter user said the urgency to delete period tracker apps was “no exaggeration nor is it hypothetical that period tracking can be used against people.”

The Digital Defense Fund, an organization dedicated to “digital security for the abortion access movement,” shared an updated guide on how to keep abortion information private and secure. For apps that are used to track periods, they recommend using one that is “privacy-driven,” like Euki App.

The real threat for “people prosecuted for their pregnancy outcome,” however, is “trusted people, including doctors, not period tracking apps,” Digital Defense Fund’s Kate Rose said.

In response to the public outcry, Flo Period Tracker released a statement saying it would be launching an “Anonymous Mode” that removes a user’s personal identity from their account. “We will never sell your personal data,” the company said, “as we understand the deep responsibility we have to provide a safe and secure platform for you to use. You are in complete control of your data and can delete it at any time.”

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2022-06-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-06-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://eeditionsimcoereformer.pressreader.com/article/281642488859116

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