Cybertraps for Educators: Digest #2022-06-27

Some Thoughts and Observations

The Cybertraps of Dobbs. At 10:10 a.m. on Friday, June 24, 2022, a 6-3 majority of the U.S. Supreme Court flatly and unequivocally overturned Roe v. Wade in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. Regardless of your personal feelings regarding the Court's decision, one thing is clear: We are about to enter a period of dramatic and contentious legal battles over all aspects of maternal health, from menstruation to birth.

What few fully appreciate, however, is the extent to which digital communication technology will play a role in those battles. In the 49 years since Roe was decided, we have eagerly adopted and helped to feed a massive electronic surveillance infrastructure that relentlessly compiles staggering amounts of data about our activities and behaviors. That information can be used for benign, even helpful purposes, like suggesting which movie you should watch next; only the hopelessly naïve would trust that it won't be used for malign or coercive reasons.