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Attorney General Dana Nessel shares data privacy concerns

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The European Court of Justice found that Privacy Shield — which counts Facebook and Twitter among its participants — failed to protect the data privacy rights of Europeans.
Kirill Kudryavtsev

Attorney General Dana Nessel is urging Michiganders to take steps to protect their data from being shared by phone software applications. The consumer alert follows the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.

Though abortion remains legal in Michigan due to a court order, some period and fertility tracking apps have come under fire nationwide for bad privacy practices.

These apps can help monitor when users' menstrual cycles start and end.

In a press release, Attorney General Dana Nessel asks Michiganders to read the fine print of the user agreements for the apps.

That's because registration often gives application administrators the right to sell personal information to other companies. There are also fears that law enforcement could seek out that data when investigating alleged violations of the state's abortion ban should it go into effect.

Those with concerns that their data may have been shared without their permission can file a complaint with the Office of the Attorney General.

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As WKAR's Bilingual Latinx Stories Reporter, Michelle reports in both English and Spanish on stories affecting Michigan's Latinx community. Michelle is also the voice of WKAR's weekend news programs.