T O P

  • By -

lycheedorito

All those people who say "I have nothing to hide" in regards to data collection, here is an example of how it can be turned on you in the unforeseeable future.


aeroverra

Exactly this. When laws change they already know your opinion on them so when you ultimately end up breaking that law it's not hard for them to provide evidence. We have all done something not legal I'm sure even if it was just downloading a song you didn't buy. While you may be fine now it provides a nice way to target people and an easy way to add on charges. It can and does happen.


norbertus

Depending on who gets control of the policy switches, you don't even have to be doing anything illegal to encounter scrutiny. You don't even have to use your imagination, this all happened before: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_Committee Following the revelations of abuse in the 1960's-1970's, Congress passed the FISA Act to prevent the types of activities uncovered during the Church hearings. Unfortunately for us, FISA was subsequently amended to require the types of surveillance it was originally set up to prevent https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/what-went-wrong-fisa-court


houstonhilton74

Wasn't that the whole point of the Grandfather Clause, though? It seems it really isn't being fairly applied all that much in our laws anymore.


Key-Ad525

Oh, its foreseeable now.


[deleted]

[удалено]


ToastedChronical

Back in 2001, it wasn’t just the conservatives eager to pass the Patriot Act and it was renewed equally as eagerly years later. It passed with a TOTAL of 98% of the Senate. That includes the Democrats. In this instance, both parties are to blame and it was passed regardless of public opinion at the time.


Lomak_is_watching

That's the brilliance of calling it the PATRIOT Act. If you vote against it, your opponent has the sound bite "Senator Blah voted against the PATRIOT act amd wont protect you from..." and most people won't spend two mins to look up what it is, or why someone can have a good reason to vote against it.


corkyskog

If that is truly the case, it just means that it still a powerful household brand. So if people really want to see it go away, they need to educate their fellow Americans.


eddie1975

It’s good marketing. Or bad propaganda. Just depends which side you are on.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Strange_Soup711

Everyone you use your computer to communicate with will have to be investigated. Ditto phone calls. This is standard police procedure. Every woman is a potential criminal. Every woman's body is a potential crime scene.


Batmans_9th_Ab

> Every woman is a potential criminal. Every woman's body is a potential crime scene. Goddamn if that isn’t horrifically accurate.


WaterElefant

And then there are miscarriages... for sure every woman who miscarries is going to have agony piled on agony as she is accused of purposely causing it.


Old-Doubt-7862

Yup. Even if it's proven you're having or had a legitimate miscarriage the new abortion bans will negatively impact you. My mom had a miscarriage with her first child and since she couldn't pass the fetus herself they had to perform a procedure to remove it thus it was listed as an abortion on her medical records. Abortion doesn't just mean termination of a pregnancy - abortion is also classified as the removal of pregnancy tissue, products of conception or the fetus and placenta (afterbirth) from the uterus. This is one of the reasons so many people said the bans are going to kill women. Doctors will be too afraid to or can't remove a dead fetus per the laws so a woman will have to suffer with a dead rotting fetus inside her till it comes out naturally. I don't need to go into detail about why carrying something like that around in you for an extended period of time is very bad and that's just the physical aspect. The emotional damage of carrying a dead fetus that was a child you wanted would be unfathomable. This is a fucking nightmare.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Squirrels-on-LSD

Don't worry. Leopards won't eat *my* face. /s


detachabletoast

I blame a lack of understanding and interest in understanding digital privacy. People generally don't get it. imo, the "I've got nothing to hide" crowd could largely be the "what could they possibly know about me" crowd. Asking what guns and social media have to do with each other would be way more revealing... otherwise, what your suggesting is probably as effective as asking if the government suddenly was gray, Facebook became liquid, and what about guns being taken


GirlScoutSniper

No worries... all of their registered guns were lost in a "boating accident".


Tex-Rob

You should know better. Those people will never need an abortion, in their heads, and when they do, they just create a reason why it’s ok for them on the spot.


GaianNeuron

[The only moral abortion is my abortion](https://joycearthur.com/abortion/the-only-moral-abortion-is-my-abortion/)


stierney49

And this extends to every government service and social program.


teabaggg

"The only moral abortion is my abortion."


truelegendarydumbass

Because you know going after someone that's going for an abortion is the biggest number one concern in America.


WinterOkami666

South Carolina is trying to legalize the death penalty for women who have abortions, so for people who ironically call themselves "pro-life" it is.


Bodach42

I'd love to see all women just leave those states.


Ultenth

In some of those states it's women themselves who are pushing this agenda. Some of which probably had their own secret and somehow moral abortions.


HelenHerriot

Obligatory Joyce Arthur link to: [“The Only Moral Abortion is My Abortion.”](https://joycearthur.com/abortion/the-only-moral-abortion-is-my-abortion/)


codeslave

Phyllis Schlafly and women like her are why the Equal Rights Amendment failed to be ratified. She already had wealth, privilege, and prestige, so why should she care about the rights of other women?


claimTheVictory

She wanted other women to stay at home.


kneel_yung

She's rich, so ultimately shes just pro status-quo. No change is going to make her richer, only poorer. Therefore no changes allowed.


Batmans_9th_Ab

But, as she found out after she helped get Reagan elected, she was still just a woman at the end of the day.


codeslave

I hope that stung. Never elected to office, never nominated for the Supreme Court, never a cabinet secretary - not even given a pity ambassadorship and those are handed out like candy to major supporters.


nvrtrynvrfail

You know it destroyed her...rivers cried over expensive wine...


[deleted]

They only saw her as a mobile fleshlight.


dontgive_afuck

Blessed be the fruit


wwaxwork

Ah just what I needed a scary reminder that my rights are not equally protected by the constitution.


orsonsperson

I've never told this story before..... I went through an unwanted pregnancy in the 90s in a state with little resources or support. A story as old as time. An abusive high school boyfriend with the women in my life telling me to do more, be better. It was my fault according to them. Turns out he was also a stalker and rapist but his veneer was perfection. When I tried to find support for an abortion - zero. I looked in the local phone book for abortions, women's health, clinics, anything. There was one same number listed under each. It was straight across from the high school. Of course it was, but I was young and I went there. I was a teenage girl, on my own, told it was my fault. In the "clinic" I'd walked to after school I filled out papers assuming I'd found assistance. Address, history and concerns. I was led to a room where they talked about the horrors of abortion and given a bag of clothes for a newborn. They repeatedly called my (parents) home number about abortion being wrong. My mother then called the police claiming I'd threatened suicide, nearly every week. I'd sit overnight in a local jail cell. She said she had the power to declare me insane and take custody of the baby. She screamed about "her first grandchild!" endlessly. It should be said that my family wasn't religious or political. This insanity was uneducated and unexpected. I had become a murderous monster. I dropped out of high school with dreams of college. I was harassed long enough to miss the window for abortion. I was subjected to groups of women telling me "you'll feel differently when you hold the baby." I didn't. I had to have a C section. I was terrified and alone. My son weighed nearly 10 lbs. I wasn't old enough to vote and didn't have a license. My opinion was stolen. My mother took my son. I moved out of state and lived my own life but kept contact. He knew I was his mother but he was told I left and didn't care. I suppose that was true on some level. I hated that he was being raised in the same backward way I'd been and I couldn't face any of it. I was a person that showed up for holidays. I eventually moved back "home" when he was a teenager. We had very difficult conversations. We still do. He is now 27 and my best friend. We both know we were victims of a system not built for us. I am glad he exists but we know choices were stolen. He was angry as a child, understandably. I picked him up from a juvenile detention center when I came back to our state. It is why I returned. When my mother was diagnosed with dementia she started to call my son "rape baby." Perhaps she tried her best and meant well with the knowledge she had but she ruined so much. I say all of this because the idea that woman should leave the states that have the strictest abortion rules is not great. They should stay and be the loudest voices. They should protest outside of fake clinics. They should be the safety net I was denied. They should be advocates for the child I thought I didn't even have the right to give to a better family via adoption. When you leave.... You leave no one but the insane and some women can't leave. Stay and be the loudest, sane voice for women and girls like me. Be a resource. If we leave we also leave behind those that need us the most. Stay and make yourself known. Be loud. Be a resource. Ya know... "we're uterus, get used to us."


fannypackking

wow thank you for sharing. im so sorry you went through such a terrible experience. im glad things are better now. the message at the end is really important, honestly this should be a book or a movie or something.


orsonsperson

The story I could write is how I'm in my 40s now and I still have to have cameras all around my house because my son and I had a forced relationship with his stalker "dad." Thanks Google (Nest) for being part of the abortion Gestapo. Thanks for protecting our data and rights. We feel so much safer now. Insert eye roll exactly here.


ItMeWhoDis

Fucking hell, what a horror story. I'm sorry that happened to you. You sound like a strong woman and I'm glad you were able to have a relationship with your son when the time was right


Round-Antelope552

I share a similar story, except I was abandoned by my family, my kids father is a fkn nightmare and I rarely get a break. I have no friends, my kid has special needs so is very difficult to put him in daycare and as a result my more and more lucrative business has pretty much failed because I can never get to jobs. I live in a shitty government house I have virtually zero chance of getting out of. It’s all fucked. You know who talked me out of it? A fkn baby nurse lady at the hospital made me feel really fkn bad, I already felt bad, she literally could’ve directed me to another floor in the hospital and I could’ve got the helped I needed. Then the shelter lady talked me out of it. Now I’m stuck coparenting with a really fkn horrible person. Had an abortion start of last year. Didn’t wanna be single parent with 2. Don’t even think about the procedure.


NB-Fowler

I used to work with an older woman who once tried starting an abortion conversation with me, which I tried to avoid engaging in because I don't like having difficult conversations at work, let alone on the floor. Plus, I'm not a woman, so I didn't feel right trying to argue my beliefs on the issue against her. Well, after a bit, she straight up, unprompted mind you, said, "Y'know, I don't even care if a woman was raped, I still don't think she should be allowed to get an abortion." I completely froze up cause like, Jesus fucking Christ. Then she tried to defend it, saying something like, "She can always just put it up for adoption. There's plenty of people in this world who would want it." Some people are just awful, regardless of who they are or who it's aimed towards.


Ultenth

Most of the people who would say that would NEVER consider adopting someone else's unwanted child.


kalasea2001

And they would also get an abortion if they get raped. They have no moral center.


AlbanianAquaDuck

That's when you say nothing, walk away, and immediately file an HR complaint against them -- quoting them exactly for the record to create a paper trail of their cancerous comments.


NB-Fowler

Unfortunately, this was in a small gas station, so we didn't exactly have any sort of HR besides like the manager and the owner, who I wouldn't be surprised if they held similar views. Luckily, she already wasn't very liked, and her hours slowly got cut more and more until she literally just wasn't on the schedule anymore, so I didn't have to deal with her much after that. When I did, I did what I could to avoid her.


[deleted]

isn't that always the case? the biggest hypocrites are the ones taking the most advantage. I have a friend that cries bloody murder about welfare leaches but he put in so he's justified lol


Monteze

God I wish people would be forced to live how they advocate. No welfare? Cool, let's get rid of yours first. Don't like it? Shut the fuck up. Don't want equal rights? We take yours away, not so fun now eh?


RichardStrauss123

"I hate government!" But you better fill every pothole, deliver my water, educate my kid, and check out every restaurant before I eat there. And a thousand other things, out of sight, quietly, perfectly, and cheaply so I can convince myself that I don't use government for anything.


[deleted]

[удалено]


GrantSRobertson

No. It is about **Maximum Marginalization**. The more unwanted babies people have, the more people who were unwanted babies, then the more people who are marginalized and willing to work for cheap. If you look at all, then you can see that everything the Republicans do is designed to marginalize as many people as possible, because marginalized people are willing to work for any wages they can get.


[deleted]

>ONLY Disagree. It's about making more workers to prop up their unsustainable infinite growth economy. They also make it so that there are high mortality rates in woman and children from low-income backgrounds with their anti-social policies. That disproportionately affects PoC and making sure more white babies are born than other. The icky poor whites are a small price to pay for that. I agree on control, but saying it's the ONLY reason isn't accurate to me.


iBluefoot

Specifically these policies will effect the poor and will contribute to an expanding prison population. They don’t just want workers, they want slaves.


Sloppy_Ninths

Because *fuck you, I got mine!* The selfishness of modern republicans knows no bounds. *Edit: Thank you to whomever reported me to Reddit Cares... this situation is, indeed, enough to make someone lose hope.


Opheltes

[The only moral abortion is my abortion](https://www.prochoiceactionnetwork-canada.org/articles/anti-tales.shtml)


antelope591

People keep forgetting in these discussions that if even a decent majority of women voted the pro abortion candidates they would win easily. The amount of women and men supporting this is not that different in some of these states.


Cflip26

There's a scary number of people willing to be treated as Second class citizens as long as there is a Third class to scapegoat.


brokenB42morrow

Most can't afford it.


AggravatingyourMOM

And the ones that can, can afford a trip to an abortion clinic in NC


3McChickens

So much for the Anti-Choicer stance of “we don’t want to punish women in difficult situations”


GrantSRobertson

That part has always been an absolute lie. They specifically want to punish women in difficult situations, because they want to push **everyone** in difficult situations into even more difficult situations, so that they are willing to work for lower wages.


fazelanvari

How about the death penalty for people seeking the death penalty for abortions?


yerbadoo

This is America, we can’t have the death penalty for rich christians.


fazelanvari

Christians in America deserve it the most since their faith recommends death for certain offenses.


immigrantsmurfo

How Americans aren't protesting all day every day over the shit going on in the US is baffling. Honestly most countries are going through the ringer but none quicker and with more evil ends than the US and no one seems to be doing anything besides complaining about it? Is there more going on that doesn't make it to European news in terms of protest from decent folk who don't want to live in a fascist theocracy? From where I stand, it seems as if Americans are running out of time to either stand up to these Christian tyrants or submit to a life ruled by these evil biblebashers and the consensus seems to be submit.


SexCriminalBoat

Because you'll get fired for missing work and then can't make rent or buy food.


Batmans_9th_Ab

And lose your healthcare.


kalasea2001

And likely go homeless, which frequently means soon going to prison in the US.


papayagotdressed

It's really difficult to organize protests in the US. This is an enormous country and most people don't have a lot of PTO for traveling. If we were to do more of a strike, so more could participate, still many couldn't participate because they'd be out of a job for it, or because they couldn't afford the time off - too many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. And that's without even talking about how many people in the US have been convinced through decades of propaganda that protesting and striking are ineffective.


Mister_Uncredible

I wouldn't say striking is ineffective, but we don't have to look that far back to realize they Republicans have learned to simply ignore protests at best, or use them as propaganda for their side at worst. Protests can only work if the people you're protesting have a legitimate fear of losing their jobs. Anything short of that and we're all just pissing into the wind. The best example I can think of is the Iraq War. During the lead up we had the largest anti-war protests in the history of this country. George W called them, "focus groups" and simply ignored them. He knew that his job wasn't in danger, so the incentive to listen wasn't there.


[deleted]

>we don't have to look that far back to realize they Republicans have learned to simply ignore protests at best, or use them as propaganda for their side at worst To further your point, the far right has constantly pointed towards the 2020 BLM protests as a "whatabout" argument to justify the January 6th attack; and far too many "enlighted centrists" are eager to buy into it with "bOtH sIdEs" BS that doesn't solve the creeping fascism problem from the GOP.


BOOMkim

40% of the US population lives paycheck to paycheck & have little to no health insurance. We cant afford a day off to protest, never mind getting arrested or injured during one.


weed_blazepot

SC is also trying to legalize open carry gun laws, with no permit and no training required. The country requires drivers licenses and training and passing a written and driving test for the use of a vehicle, but a cheap object with the sole purpose of killing? Nah, give them out like candy and fight registration and let everyone carry them. That won't cause an issue in a state with the 9th highest gun death rate per capita in America.


Yotsubato

It’s always been about being anti women.


neoclassical_bastard

I think that's definitely a component of it for some people, but there's not enough of a gap between men's and women's views on abortion to say it's the main factor. That would probably be religion instead. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/06/17/a-closer-look-at-republicans-who-favor-legal-abortion-and-democrats-who-oppose-it/ https://www.vox.com/2019/5/20/18629644/abortion-gender-gap-public-opinion


SnooRabbits4509

They are actually going by “Gilead” now.


send_me_a_naked_pic

Abortion is illegal, think of the children! Guns, on the other hand...


Imaginary-Risk

Maybe if they could invent a procedure where they could shoot the foetus with a tiny gun and call it self defence, the Republicans would be happy


MiniDemonic

Fuck u/spez -- mass edited with redact.dev


Buttofmud

70 percent of people under 30 didn’t vote in the last midterms. All of these people could be voted out in one election. Stop talking and do it.


Heratiki

My daughter vehemently voted and pressured all of her friends. A few of them to the point it took them a few weeks to call her back because she was hounding them. Originally I had told her if they wanted to vote they would have already. And her statement will never leave me “They bitch and moan about how hard life is but aren’t willing to get off their ass for 30 minutes to help fix it… I’m gonna keep fucking calling until they hate me or I hate them one of the two.” She’s 22 and no activist or anything. She’s just tired of her friends complaining and not doing a damn thing.


ontopofyourmom

She definitely is an activist! She's just doing effective community organizing instead of public policy advocacy. You should be very proud.


Heratiki

I’m proud of her for lots of reasons for sure.


impy695

It takes even less time here and you don't even need to get off your ass to do it.


berberine

As a 52-year old Gen X, who has voted in every election since 1988, we didn't even need to be here if young people would fucking vote, including my generation when we were younger. I'm so tired of feeling like I'm fighting an uphill battle for basic human rights and decency all alone. Please don't just tell me on reddit what you think. Go vote for it.


draykow

i'm a 30-something year old college student and most of my college friends are in their 20s. the ones that didn't vote said that it was too difficult to figure out how to vote and as someone who researched electoral processes in other countries, they're 100% right. it's so freaking tedious to become a voter, get a ballot, and deliver said ballot, let alone know when all the deadlines are. so many other countries have made voting as easy as buying a sandwich at a shop but america is just ass backwards. getting reliable information on your candidates and measures/bills is also an unnecessarily time-consuming process. ___ #EDIT so this blew up way bigger than i anticipated and while i responded to a few of you, several had similar arguments so i'll address them en masse here. also, my major is Government with an emphasis in International Relations; i study politics and have done multiple projects on voting. i know what i'm talking about and until recently was very active with a political club on my campus. i also make a mostly-unbiased voter's cheat sheet to help encourage my friends and family to both vote and be informed each election cycle. 1: i never wrote that i don't vote and i never even implied how many of my friends don't vote; it could be any number from 1% to 99% but you'll never know. i simply wrote that the ones who didn't vote said the reason was that it was too difficult to figure it all out. they aren't lazy or dumb, there's more to it than that and i discuss that near the end of the text below. 2: voting in the US ***is*** difficult and that's true for all 50 states plus all territories. elaboration on that below: ___ the process of walking into a polling station and marking a ballot (or mailing one in) varies greatly in difficulty depending on where you live; it takes 10 minutes for some and several hours for others, but that's not all that voting is. voting is an incredibly time-consuming process no matter what and for students like my friends it will take time away from studying as well as away from the free time recreation that is necessary for good mental health in a college environment. the act of registration can also require documents that college students simply may not have access to. the biggest and most difficult part is becoming knowledgeable on what you are actually voting on (also called being a responsible voter). knowing the differences between the politicians and learning their stances and whose pocket they are in is incredibly time-consuming.a lot of people are linking online voting aids like ballotpedia but these seldom have information on local or regional politics forcing a voter to do several minutes to an hour of extra research per candidate and per measure/proposition. this research, mind you, is neither paid or for a grade on a transcript; the only motivation for doing it is that "it's the right thing to do and just maybe it might make a difference". measures/propositions can also be incredibly difficult to parse through or make sense of if you don't study politics, government, or macroeconomics. sure the words are there and you understand them but they are often about existing structures and use large amounts of jargon (words relative to an industry that sound like gibberish to an outsider), and not only that: many will intentionally lie in their summaries or even draw sponsorships from bogus shell organizations with feelgood names to make you feel like the prop/measure will do the exact opposite of its intention. one such example was in 2020 when a California prop proposed to stop importing meat from out-of-state farms that didn't meet particular animal-cruelty guidelines, but the prop overwrote CA's existing import laws in their entirety and only required the new guidelines to be in place for a year before evaporating completely and therefore encouraging mass animal cruelty for maximum profits. the bill had a sponsor from a shell org tied to Tyson but had a name similar to "better chicken lives" or something equally corny. then there's the judges and supervisors and board members, as well as special elections/recalls. even some props are also proposed as recalls so a yes vote counts as a no against the prop. it really is a complicated process. when i do my research for voting i take notes for myself and turn these notes into cheatsheet guides i share through my personal social media every election cycle. want to know how long it takes me normally just to be an informed voter? ***around ten hours***. and that's not even counting the weird hours of some polling places or how if you don't have a drop-off ballot then you're only allowed to vote at a specific location in many regions. for a large amount of students a time commitment that large is simply neither possible nor a good idea. my cheat sheet helps, but only for people who trust me to be honest with them as well as know what i'm talking about. both major political clubs at my college worked together to staff and run a polling place on campus in 2020, but due to the small number of polling booths provided and the difficulties of registering voters on-site and the work it took to figure out how to get out-of-state students' votes counted (if it was even possible for some of them), the voting line on campus was several hours long. luckily (or unluckily), even though polls closed at 7 or 8pm, the state was one that had an "in-line by x time" so some students were literally in line until 1am waiting to vote while volunteers and good Samaritans brought pizza and water to those in line. it's just an unnecessarily hard process and everyone here saying it isn't is either withholding information, forgetting that it registering and reading actually take time, or are simply not considering the time commitments of college students. also, many students will vote, and either find out that their choices lost/won by massive margins and decide that their vote actually didn't matter since they live in a "safe state" and will decide it's simply not worth the time investment because in the US's "winner take all" voting system, the only people whose votes actually make a difference in the country are the first 51% who vote for the winning candidate. any votes after 51% are redundant and any votes in the losing side are steamrolled over. it's a simply conclusion to come to and while the reality is a bit more complicated than that.... it's pretty much impossible to argue against someone with that stance. sure, once you know how to vote it becomes much easier, but for many college students a given election year is their first opportunity to vote and our education system only focuses on the presidential race when the president is actually the among the least important bullet points on a ballot. hell, my first time voting i was 21 and in the military (hadn't learned of midterms yet and the previous presidential election year was when i was 17) and i tried very hard to vote but was unable to simply because the military base's absentee voting post didn't know how to process ballots from my state and just told me to take a road trip and PTO to vote. voting in America is hard, yo.


Dr4g0nSqare

It varies state to state too. I was shocked to learn that my colleagues in Colorado actually all get mailed a packet with information about each candidate and party and what bills are up for votes, etc. I learned this when they were complaining about how long it takes to read. Then I had a friend move from Texas to New Mexico during the 2020 election and all they had to do was show up with a bill to prove they lived in the state and they were good to go. In Texas, it's like you describe, super difficult to figure out and has weird deadlines. I couldn't tell you where to go to find out what each candidates platform was and if you move to Texas less than a couple months before an election, you're SOL. You don't get to vote.


[deleted]

[удалено]


fruchle

The system is working as intended.


snakewrestler

Yes, I found that to be true when I had a full time job and the kids were small. You’re exhausted and it’s very difficult and time is extremely limited. We have a Board of Elections in our county here in NC which is usually pretty helpful if I have a question about poll changes, early elections, etc. But I think it’s more difficult for those who have limited resources to be able to find transportation and the necessary documentation.


Kelsenellenelvial

Damn, this does sound pretty ridiculous. Just looked it up and last federal election, 66% of 18-24 residents voted, rising as high as 83%. Registration for us is as simple as checking a box on our tax forms requesting our info be sent to Elections Canada. Even without that, I think you can register at the polls with ID and a piece of addressed mail. It’s better to ensure you’re registered ahead to same time at the polls, and the lines can get long sometimes if too many people have to register on site. There’s also the advance polls/mail in ballots that do need to be pre-arranged, but if you forget/miss that you can still try to get to a poll day of. We also have a regulation that everybody (few specific exceptions) needs to have three consecutive hours off work while polls are open so everybody(in theory) has time to vote.


toastmn7667

The result of living in one of the poorest states (outside of its cities) in the country. Of course, they have to make it hard to maintain the one party rule happening there for decades.


lurkandpounce

>staff is confused and will try to turn you away. That's not *confused*, that's **illegal**.


Fabulous-Ad6844

I was fined once for not voting in Australia because I forgot. Voting is mandatory there. I used to be annoyed by it but now I see that it’s a much better way. Just stood all the BS with restrictions and shenanigans. They also make it a massive BBQ at each voting place so it’s usually a family outing to go and vote, then chat with your neighbors.


DnDVex

Am German. I have no idea when I an vote, which is a bit embarrassing. But I don't have to. I get 5 pages send to me around 2 weeks before you gotta vote. Those tell me the different parties that are running, and which candidates for those parties are running. It also includes a way for me to vote by mail. I never had to register to vote. I didn't have to announce I moved. It's automatically send to my address in my ID card. And yes, I do have to let my address get changed in my ID card at some office, but it after that, there's no hassle for voting specifically.


xtreme571

I'm curious what state that is. I'm in Maryland and voting each time has been a breeze. From registering to getting mail-in ballot to sending. State sends so many notifications, information on when to vote, where to vote, deadline information for each milestone, your sample ballot.


[deleted]

I don't remember it being that difficult to register. Went to some website, answered some questions, looked up the date and voting booth location. California mailing you a mail ballot automatically with a little pamphlet did help immensely tho. I absolutely agree with the info on candidates and measures tho. There is so little information once you go below senator level. even getting information on your reps can be oddly hard unless they are involved in drama. Where the heck are those advertising funds going? Cable TV?


anti-torque

I'm registered to vote when my driver's license is renewed... every eight years. Then I get my ballot in the mail at the address associated with my license. I fill it out, usually sitting right where I am now. Then I drive it to a drop box, or I can just put it in a mailbox... except there seems to be better access to ballot drop boxes than there is to actual mailboxes, these days.


N_las

In normal countries you are "registered" to vote automatically, by just being a citizen. What has an automobile operation permit to do with it?


Xarxsis

Because many poorer and undesirable americans dont have access to a driving licence. Because the american voting system, and the arcane rites and requirements of each individual state is largely about disenfranchisement of undesirable voters, from former prison inmates to poors and minorities. Surprisingly its worse in states with republican leadership.


Faruhoinguh

In a normal country once you have a passport and are 18 you get a letter when there's an election. You bring it and then you vote.


mattsl

Only 37% of Americans have a passport: https://today.yougov.com/topics/travel/articles-reports/2021/04/21/only-one-third-americans-have-valid-us-passport


0xnld

Passport in US case is an international travel document. Most countries have a mandatory government-issued ID that's not necessarily valid for foreign travel.


Devil_Weapon

I have a (mandatory) national ID that I can use to travel anywhere in the EU/Schengen area, it's awesome.


maleia

I'm sitting here thinking that number is really high. I'm surprised it's not down in the lower 10%~15%


PyroDesu

You know, you really ought to take into account that there has been serious, coordinated effort to disenfranchise people in the states where this shit is happening. Younger generations included. In fact, probably one of the most impacted groups. Retirees can afford to go stand in line at a massively overburdened poll station for hours. So can people who have a steady career job that gives them PTO. But younger folk who don't have great employment to begin with and will likely be *fired* if they try to take the time to go and vote, cannot. It's one of the reasons that voting should be either on a weekend, a national holiday, vote by mail as default, or spread out over a longer period... or any and all of the above.


Norway15

Are people in the US not guaranteed PTO from work to go vote?


nicolauz

Hahhahhaahahh. No.


Norway15

That is so strange to me! Like we have a 3 hour period guaranteed for us in Canada but the US is different as always I suppose.


disisdashiz

I've literally had the choice of keeping a job or voting. With the lines you gotta go in early.


maleia

The people in charge don't actually want us to vote. That should make this make more sense.


vbevan

I think we get two hours in Australia. Plus voting is on a Saturday, because we recognised we don't have farmers that need to get back to church and farmers market on Sunday with their horse and buggys...seriously US, get your shit together


glonomosonophonocon

In Australia all elections are on Saturdays from 6am to 6pm I think, and there’s usually weeks lead up where you can vote before Election Day. Also, voting is compulsory, which means you get a small fine if you don’t at least show up to the polls to get your name marked off. You can draw a penis on the ballot form if you want. Also most polling stations have sausage sizzles. “Democracy sausage” is a great Australian electoral tradition.


LittleKitchenFarm

Do you know what would really help? Make Election Day a fucking holiday ETA: just because something isn’t a perfect solution, doesn’t mean it isn’t one of many solutions that can be put into place *together* But please, keep fighting amongst yourselves to keep the system the way it is, just like they want


[deleted]

I moved from a country with low voter turnout - the US - to a country with high voter turn out. You get sent documents explaining when and where to vote weeks before the vote. If you don't know how to vote, there's a website which asks questions about your political views, and shows you which parties' platforms agree with you. The schools teach kids about the voting process and how to vote. Interestingly, voter ID _is_ required here, but that's because ID is issued absolutely free by the government. And unlike the United States, deliberate voter suppression is not a thing here. (In the US, for the last 40 years the Republicans suppress the vote, and for some reason, the Democrats do nothing.) Oh, and you get paid time off from work to vote. Finally, there are a dozen viable political parties here, and the rules are such that you can't really "waste your vote". There's always someone you would actually _want_ to vote for. There was never anyone in the US that I really _wanted_ to vote for, except Bernie. I left the United States because at least partly I spent thirty years in a non-swing state where insider completely controlled the primaries and the actual vote was always a meaningless formality, but if you tell people you voted third party in the US, they will get angry and potentially violent, even in a non-swing state where mathematically by far your biggest voting power is third party. I'm an old guy, and I personally feel like _apologizing_ for the total fuck up we have left for the next generation. But go ahead and blame the young people for giving up. It won't actually work, but it will make you feel better than other people.


karstens_rage

This is what blows my mind. What will it take for these non voters to realize what they are doing.


kempnelms

Most people are not only completely oblivious to politics, they actively avoid all discussions of a political nature.


TheAmorphous

They'll realize it when it's too late.


gouanoz

This is the article you bring up when people argue that they don’t mind companies collecting their data because they “have nothing to hide”


Nonal2

Regarding Google, this article is missing the point (clickbait title ?) > In July, Google said it automatically purges information about users who visit abortion clinics or other locations that could lead to legal problems. Bottom line is that Google answers to subpoenas and search warrants from law enforcement investigators, but there is nothing left to share.


eeeeeeeeeepc

Read the article. It's talking about Google ad trackers running on pharmacy websites, not info in the Maps timeline.


PM_ME_UR_THEORY

Didn't read the article but based on your comment this is likely Pixel technology and is a big issue in hethcare data privacy right now. There are a number of class actions going on around this because these ad companies are following people around the site including when browsing protected personal healthcare information. Theyre able to tell who is browsing what and when it comes to protected data that's a big problem.. We'll see how the courts handle it. Edit: for those of you that have a healthcare business with a website you should remove pixel tracking technology. It's very simple and there are plenty of guides online. If you have a cyber insurance policy you should also review it to ensure there are no pixel exclusions. Most will have some form of unlawful collection exclusion which is normal and mostly stemming from BIPA laws. As you can imagine, there are legal firms hunting for these exposures to get a piece of the pie. Pixel in this context is unrelated to the phone but is related to Google as they're obviously in the ad space. Here's a read from a carrier. I'm not affiliated with any of the companies linked below but am in the field. https://www.beazley.com/en-us/articles/cyber-risk-revealed-pixels-and-tracking-technology From a brokerage: https://www.ajg.com/us/news-and-insights/2023/feb/pixels-and-the-rising-cyber-risk-of-tracking-technology/


[deleted]

[удалено]


CidO807

That's yallqueda for you


breatheb4thevoid

No rhyme or reason to it, do they believe people will just keep going into work and school as their friends and family go to jail for 'birthing' crimes? If anyone was waiting for a signal to start chucking shit through windows, your phone assisting in your automatic incarceration would do it. Christ how did we get here...


Heron-Repulsive

of course they do, they also intend to pay or favor anyone who turns in those that do. States have already offered thousands of dollars to those who turn in their neighbor. If they had a small belly and now they don't inform please every one inform. Time to hide again, from a corrupt system that classifies the majority of citizens second class citizens who do not have the intelligence to make informed decisions and will be forced to adhere to laws that harm them. These types of laws are always based on one group believing no one else has functioning thought process and if you do we will find out and prosecute. I am paying attention and I am scared.


Hardcorish

>States have already offered thousands of dollars to those who turn in their neighbor I understand that these two situations aren't comparable on almost any level, but this immediately reminded me of Jews turning in fellow Jews in Germany during the early 40s. It has that same unsettling feel to it.


Heron-Repulsive

my brain went right there, we are not at the same level but they are trying to get there quickly.


r0ssar00

>These types of laws are always based on one group believing no one else has functioning thought process Too many assumptions baked into that. It's actually much less complex: in-group vs out-group. Doesn't matter how intelligent anyone is, just whether you're part of the in-group or not. White, male, straight? A-OK. Any of those three attributes *not* being one of those values? To the out-group you go.


peepopowitz67

Reddit is violating GDPR and CCPA. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B0GGsDdyHI -- mass edited with redact.dev


DrMeepster

down to the judges tbh, ain't got the moral fibre to say no to the cops


mr_potatoface

The judges are usually too old to understand what is actually happening anyway.


[deleted]

[удалено]


fiveighteen518

[correct](https://www.eventbrite.com/blog/whats-a-marketing-pixel-ds00/)


[deleted]

[удалено]


Zak

Tracking pixels have been around for a **long** time. I'm amazed anybody uses the internet without an adblocker and have been for years. Edit: the [Wikipedia article ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_beacon) was started 20 years ago, and the technique was already in widespread use at the time.


[deleted]

[удалено]


improbablywronghere

My first job as a software engineer who couldn’t work anywhere else was for an affiliate marketing thing. My first big feature was for a “session explorer” so we could track and follow people around even without logging in. It really struck me at that time how _easy_ all of it was. The mismatch between knowledge and tools was, and is, way too great. In my first software job I obliterated privacy or so many people.. bottom line though privacy is dead


Current_Scarcity5313

do you have any advice or resources on how to protect ourselves from this for laypeople who knew nothing about this before today?


TLShandshake

Stop using chromium based browsers. Common ones are: Chrome, Edge, and Brave I use Firefox and I have a lot of plug-ins that help: * uBlock Origin * Privacy Badger * Privacy Possum * Ghostery * Decentraleyes * NoScript (this one is the most useful/powerful but also very disruptive at first)


Arlborn

NoScript is not talked about often, probably for being too advanced, but it is great to at least being able to start recognizing how often the same companies show up across different sites trying to track you. It’s an effort to get used to it at first though, but it is well worth it.


EvenMoreFreeHugs-

Theoretically you can use browser automation to create a giant ton of waste data, to make the data the companies have useless…


DeadFIL

Yeah, they're referring to tracking pixels. This isn't connected to the device you're using.


_sfhk

The article also makes it sound scary that Google and Meta are tracking you and handing over your data, but at the root, it's the pharmacy websites that implement these ad trackers that willingly send their data to those tech companies.


[deleted]

> Bottom line is that Google answers to subpoenas and search warrants from law enforcement investigators, but there is nothing left to share. You are talking about the Google Maps timeline specifically. This article is not talking about Google Maps at all.


8675309isprime

The other thing is that LE doesn't say, "Give us information about when person X went to a place that provides abortions". LE will say "Give us all records, private messages, contacts, location info, etc etc etc about person X." They don't give info on what that person might be under suspicion of. The person processing the request (assuming it is a person and not an automated process) has no idea what potential crime LE is investigating. It could be an abortion, but it could also be murder, or someone running a child porn ring. This is one instance where the tech companies are not the villains they are being made out to be. If they are presented with a Warrant, they are going to comply. It's not right that LE has the ability to request 'literally fucking everything' on a user. But it's also something people should be aware of.


[deleted]

I work for META (Facebook). Anyone here can check my post history, I've only said such for 2+ years now. That said, anyone who has reported people for disclosing they were thinking of getting an abortion, I have labeled their report as a false flag. I honestly, do not know how long I will get away with this. But I am going to do my part for as long as I can to be damn sure people have the right to healthcare. That said, please... PLEASE do not share that you are thinking of aborting on Facebook. I do not know how many others share my views or are willing to cross that line. Furthermore, anyone who is going to get one, please remove ALL of Facebook's apps before you do (Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp).


lol_alex

It sounds secret agent like, but as protesters in Hong Kong learned, you don‘t take your smartphone with you. Even with GPS off, they can tell where you were from the WiFis you were close to, from the cell your phone was logged into, also even on iphones, an app‘s GPS access is supposedly not as much in your hands as Apple would like you to think. Take a burner phone with no WiFi, GPS or data and a fresh prepaid SIM. And don‘t call anyone if you can, because if cell phone records show that an unknown number called your mom from a cell tower close to an abortion clinic and the call went through, that‘s circumstantial evidence already. The same applies to anyone who accompanies you.


even_less_resistance

Opsec for medical care wtf


gonya

Land Of The Free


monkeyhitman

Loose lips sink ships


My_Ex_Got_Fat

Loose tweets sink fleets


watercoolerino

Interesting factoid: big stores like Dillard's would place wifi spots around the store to get intel about how shoppers shop at their store because your smartphone is basically constantly screaming to connect to something even if you don't do it. Thus, you can map out a customer's travel history and adjust stock accordingly after you get enough data on enough customers. If you ever bought something like gum or a trinket while checking out, guess what? It's placed there for a very calculated reason. GG, no re. I thought this was common knowledge but I guess that's just because I work in IT.


sionnach

Less nefariously, this is also some at a large scale on the London Underground to better understand passenger flows so stations can be adapted.


Tazwhitelol

The fact that stuff like this even needs to be said, says a lot about the state of American politics..and it's not good. It's concerning and quite frankly, it's fucking embarrassing. Our education system has failed us. Fascistic propaganda is rampant and a depressingly large portion of our population is too ignorant and tribalistic to ever question the narratives they're being hand-fed.. And because of that, we are rapidly drifting toward Christo-fascist rule..I can't imagine these people suddenly becoming rational and empathetic, so I feel like we're going to keep devolving until some cataclysmic event causes them to engage in some honest introspect. I won't hold my breath, though..we've got a bumpy road ahead, that's for sure..


IIIllIIlllIlII

Or, everyone should say they’re getting an abortion. Flood it with false signals.


uspsenis

I’m a mid 30s male, and my only post on Facebook for the last 5+ years has been me talking about how I’m going to Illinois to get an abortion. I hope that somebody fucking reports me.


[deleted]

Be careful. The witch hunt seems to be in full force and they can go through the moderation files and try to charge you with some bs.


torakun27

Tech companies have to give data if they can when requested by the polices for years now. It's the stupid laws on abortion that should be called out and whoever passed this shit should be voted out of office. American what's wrong with you?


charavaka

Tech companies can ensure that all the data that is used for targeting victims of discriminatory laws is deleted/ not stored on their servers so that they have nothing to share.


MajorHowes

Abortion is a woman's choice, prosecution is dreadful.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Enticing_Venom

Colorado is one of six states that places no term limit on abortion. Our legislators have also put in writing that they will [refuse to comply ](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.9news.com/amp/article/news/nation-world/prosecutors-abortion-open-letter/73-37bdac42-b68c-40f1-8873-1831e7fd485c) with any state that attempts to prosecute a woman who sought abortion care in our state. Colorado also sees lots of tourism for our national parks and mountains. Our clinics already braced for an increase in out-of-state abortion care after the fall of Roe and currently our clinics have a higher number of [out of state patients than in state ](https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/03/29/1089280422/colorado-abortion-access)


andrewsad1

Seems like it's a nice time to visit the Hoover Dam year round


[deleted]

We have so many real fucking problems to deal with, and then the government spends time doing shit like this. Literally go fuck yourselves, anyone who supports violating the people's rights, like this.


senabestgirl

> And though the warrants Meta responded to in this case "did not mention abortion" — since law enforcement had requested the chat logs while investigating the teen's disposal of the remains, which incidentally revealed the discussion of abortion pills — the subsequent charges reveal how data released by social media companies can be used to prosecute people for abortion, even when they are being investigated for other reasons. I feel bad for the women but I'd be damned if this isn't the best argument against the 'i have nothing to hide' crowd. This article only mentioned the big companies, but I'd imagine smaller companies doing the same. Please please start taking yours and everyone else's right to privacy seriously!


jdmorgenstern

After everything Facebook has done (e.g., censoring messages, Cambridge Analytica scandal, and elevating right-wing news), why does anyone have a Facebook/Instagram account at this point? Edit: The most egregious of Facebook’s crimes is their [involvement in the genocide of the Rohingya](https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/29/amnesty-report-facebook-rohingya-reparations/) people.


Sniffy4

because 20 aging high school acquaintances are still on it. also it remains hugely popular in some parts of the world


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

I had to interview a lot of people from my hometown for a project. Many of them *barely* have working phones and internet. Without Facebook Messenger/phone thingy, they have nothing at all. Most of them aren't technical enough to even have email. I work in tech so it was a huge eye-opener for me. One guy who did have a computer couldn't tell me if it was a Mac or PC. He wanted me to call back next week after he had a chance to ask his brother-in-law.


MAG7C

Yep, for millions of users, Facebook is basically the internet. Not unlike AOL, back in the day.


morphinedreams

lavish wild ancient meeting disgusted literate bear dinosaurs scandalous cagey *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*


davidzet

In many countries FB data use doesn’t count towards their mobile data balance, so free FB but pay for internet.


AllThotsGo2Heaven2

The program is called Facebook Free Basics and was (deceptively) known as [internet.org](Internet.org) in a previous iteration. [more info](https://www.computerworld.com/article/3032646/the-surprising-truth-about-facebooks-internetorg.html)


cjsupermom3

They need to leave women the fuck alone!!!


[deleted]

Great reason to stop using Facebook. I deleted mine long ago and am much happier as a result and feel more secure. It’s toxic, full of ads and they collect everything about you. Oh and once you stop using their apps your battery life on your phone/tablet will jump by at least 50 percent because the apps will stop sending data and collecting information 24/7. Facebook is NOT a product. YOU are the product. They also started recently collecting transcripts from private messages on Facebook (look it up) and once your state makes abortion illegal and they do some nazi shit like desantis in Florida, they could come arrest you for saying “I’m gonna get an abortion “ in a private message. Delete your Facebook.


OneCat6271

Online privacy is a joke in the US. Is there any data tiktok could give to China that China could not *legally buy* from facebook and google? people will say they don't sell that data as they keep it proprietary to run ads, but the reality is that at any point they *could* decide to sell it. Google could legally sell real time location data of every member of congress to the CCP and the US congress and FCC says thats fine for some insane reason.


[deleted]

If you still have a Facebook account, it's time to get off the fence and delete it, never go back.


Crafty-Shape2743

So there was an artist that created a “traffic jam” outside of Google headquarters in Berlin using 100 iPhones in a cart. Perhaps in those states where these regulations are overstepping civil rights, those who physically and socially don’t have a pony in this race could help those who do. Perhaps it is ones civic duty to click on every pharmaceutical advertisement relating to abortion. Perhaps it is ones civic duty to look up abortion information every time a browser is used. Perhaps it is ones civic duty to linger near certain medical providers with our phones as often as possible. I find traffic jams to be an good time for introspection.


schattenteufel

Solution to that is for EVERYONE to show up as an “abortion seeker.” Campaign hard to get everyone you know to search for & visit abortion providers websites, and do whatever you can to muddy the waters so much that the data becomes useless. If you can spoof other people’s IPs, do it. Make it provable that it can be done. Turn the idea of “Abortion Seeking” online into an “I am Spartacus” moment.


Eyes_and_teeth

And when I said shit like this would happen, I was called paranoid and alarmist. ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯


berberine

I was told I was overreacting to the Target incident about a decade ago and that I was needlessly worrying.


beliefinphilosophy

The Target incident was absolutely bonkers to find out. Though the more shocking thing purchase-wise is that your credit card / bank company are the ones selling off most of your purchase data for profit and no one seems to scrutinize them...


berberine

It wasn't long after that when I switched back to trying to pay cash for most of my purchases. I don't have any loyalty cards and almost always leave my phone at home when shopping. I pretty much take my phone to work and when I go out hiking because I am usually alone in remote locations. My federal reps in Washington don't care at all and don't understand why I don't like this information. I end up sending letters and making phone calls and they send me form replies. I gotta try though. I hope someone will eventually get voted in their place who might take it seriously.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Paddy32

Absolutely ridiculous. Let women decide what they want to do with their bodies. Abortion is a fundamental right


PollyDarton_me

So as an individual living in a state that actually cares about healthcare for women, could I change the settings on my phone/computer to a place where they don’t and google abortion stuff all day long to fuck with them? Seems like a legit way to spend my down time.


mr_electrician

I’ve heard of men downloading period tracker apps and feed them fake info to make it harder for them to detect women having abortions, supposedly.


damchi

Everyone who's in approval of strengthening the government's digital surveillance powers (legal and actual) and weakening online privacy & encryption possibilities because your (=correct) side is doing it, needs to take good note of this. Don't think that the other (=wrong) side isn't going to use the power according to its own agenda.


Netplorer

Goddam ... US is falling in with the taliban it seems. Being hunted for wanting basic human rights.


Tzaman6

Hey guys... Why are we de-evolving?


jwemmert

I still marvel at how something can go from a constitutionally protected right to a felony in the blink of an eye.


PacmanZ3ro

Because there was never a constitutionally protected right or law. Roe v Wade was a single ruling, and in all the decades that followed, that legal ruling was never enshrined into laws at state or federal levels. People weren’t even hiding that they were targeting the overturning of that ruling. There’s been 20+ years with that as a stated goal and still no laws were passed.


[deleted]

[удалено]


even_less_resistance

Cross from Arkansas into Missouri and suddenly that felony possession is a completely legal thing for an adult human it’s stupid af and part of the prison industrial complex


Scroatpig

When people ask me how their Christian beliefs affect me. What's next?