Warrantless Phone Tracking Tool Raises Privacy Concerns at Abortion Clinics

Locate X, a tool used by U.S. law enforcement, can monitor smartphone locations without a warrant, potentially impacting abortion seekers.

Locate X, developed by Babel Street, allows tracking of phones across state lines, including visits to abortion clinics, without a warrant.
Privacy advocates demonstrated the tool's capabilities, showing it can follow individual phones from residences to clinics, raising privacy alarms.
The tool uses mobile advertising identifiers to track devices, a practice criticized for enabling mass surveillance without user consent.
Atlas Privacy, a data removal company, accessed Locate X under the guise of a private investigator, highlighting lax sales restrictions.
Legal and privacy experts express concern over the tool's potential to criminalize abortion seekers, especially in states with strict abortion laws.