Take down Facebook trending on social media after cops used messages to prosecute teen for abortion
According to court records, Facebook’s parent company, Meta, provided the information after receiving a search request.
What was the search request on Facebook?
After receiving a search warrant, Facebook parent company Meta found text messages between a minor accused of having an illegal abortion and her mother to Nebraska police. Before Roe v. Wade, the famous 1973 ruling establishing abortion rights was overturned by the US Supreme Court, in Norfolk, Nebraska, police began their investigation in April. In response to the Supreme Court ruling, concerns have been raised about the potential use of web data as criminal evidence against people seeking abortions.
Is the daughter, aged 17, okay now?
According to an earlier article in The Lincoln Journal Star, Jessica Burgess, 41, is on trial for allegedly helping her daughter, who was 17 at the time, plan an abortion, burn and bury her unborn child. The mother will be tried in Madison County District Court after pleading not guilty. (CNET withholds the daughter’s name; she was a minor when the alleged miscarriage occurred.) According to court documents, the teenager told a Norfolk police detective that she miscarried and gave birth to a stillborn baby. Police discovered from the teen’s medical records that she was more than 23 weeks pregnant at the time because Nebraska bans most abortions 20 weeks after fertilization.
The young woman scrolled through conversations on her Facebook Messenger account from April as she tried to get her mother’s attention, as the investigator questioned her about the timing of the miscarriage. After that, the detective discovered the Facebook profiles of her mother and daughter.
Facebook has proven that it will compromise your privacy any chance it gets #DeleteFacebook https://t.co/mJE4UwfuR3
— Sean (@SeanDaBlack) August 9, 2022
What was in the Facebook conversation?
Ben McBride, Detective with the Norfolk Police Division. As stated in an affidavit defending the search warrant for Meta. “I know this from prior training and experience, and conversations with other experienced criminal investigators. People involved in criminal activities often have conversations about their criminal activities through various social networking sites, i.e. Facebook. According to the newspaper, the detective believes that Meta’s property is being used to store or secure evidence. Related to illegal activities involving skeletal remains.
And just when you thought Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook couldn’t go any lower, they gave Nebraska police a teenage girl’s information and direct messages so they could prosecute her for having an abortion! The healthy woman should leave Facebook if she hasn’t already!#DeleteFacebook
pic.twitter.com/gvMqTfiju2— Felis Resisterus (@AltLeloge) August 9, 2022
The detective specified the information from Facebook. Such as images and private messages, which he was looking for in connection with the investigation. According to court documents, authorities were later able to seize more than 50,000 KB of data. Linked to Jessica Burgess’s account and over 250,000KB of data. Connected to the teen’s Facebook account, including account information, photos, videos, and messages.
Ladies, DO NOT POST PERSONAL INFORMATION ON ANY SOCIAL NETWORKS. DO NOT USE APPS TO TRACK YOUR MENSTRUAL CYCLE OR ANY OTHER PERSONAL THING. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHO HAS ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION. THESE APP COMPANIES SELL YOUR DATA. FREE APPS ARE NOT FREE!!#DeleteFacebook pic.twitter.com/FV6byX6Cm8
— Cecilia Damian ⁽ᴮᵉᵃᵘᵗʸ ᵃⁿᵈ ᴴᵉʳ ᶠᵘʳᵇᵃᵇᶦᵉˢ⁾🐾🌱Ⓥ💙🌊 (@Chihuahua__Mom) August 9, 2022
