The response is organized on the Internet and social networks, after the entry into force of a law that prohibits terminations of pregnancy from six weeks in Texas (southern United States). A website, which encourages the public to report illegal abortions, has been notified of its eviction by its Internet host.
Online service provider GoDaddy informed the site prolifewhistleblower.com – set up by the Texas anti-abortion group on Thursday. Right to Life (“Right to life”) to collect “tips” or denunciations about people and organizations that would help a woman to have an abortion – that he was breaking his rules and that he had “24 hours to change host “.
The site flooded with false denunciations
Internet users, encouraged by human rights organizations, also organized a digital raid by flooding the site with false denunciations. On social networks, like TikTok, Instagram or Reddit, activists have shared their efforts to create bots that bombard the site.
In his video posted on TikTok, @ black_madness21 has implemented a computer code to send a large number of false reports automatically. He also managed to send 300 before his IP address was blocked. “Me, filing my 647th false report”, can we also in another video posted on another TikTok account.
People are amazing. This guy made a bot to overwhelm that horrible tx site and when it banned his IP after 300ish entries, he made an iPhone work around that anyone can use https://t.co/4v6YQnOZ34 pic.twitter.com/aZpeyY2AT9
– Preeti Chhibber (@runwithskizzers) September 2, 2021
Bumble and Match group to create “support funds”
Uber and Lyft, the two American leaders in chauffeur-driven car reservations, for their part announced on Friday that they would cover drivers’ legal costs if they are denounced under the new law.
Bumble and Match group (Tinder, OkCupid…), headquartered in Texas, will create support funds. The online dating app Bumble wants to “support the rights of women and people who want abortions in Texas,” the company, founded and run by women, tweeted Thursday.
Starting today, Bumble has created a relief fund supporting the reproductive rights of women and people across the gender spectrum who seek abortions in Texas.
– Bumble (@bumble) September 1, 2021
“Our society does not usually take sides politically, unless it concerns our business. But in this case, me, personally, as a woman in Texas, I could not remain silent, for its part wrote Shar Dubey, the boss of Match, in an internal memo relayed on Twitter. “Everyone must see the danger posed by a law as punitive and unjust as this one, which does not even make an exception for victims of rape or incest. I would hate for our state to take such a step backwards in women’s rights, ”she added.
The law that came into force Wednesday prohibits abortion as soon as the embryo’s heartbeat is detected, around six weeks pregnant, when most women do not know they are pregnant. Only the medical emergency justifies an exception. Until now, similar texts from other American states had been struck down in court, but this time the Federal Supreme Court refused to block the law. According to Texas law, it is not up to the authorities to enforce the measure, but to citizens, encouraged to file a civil complaint.