In a promising sign that public pressure works, several crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs, also known as “fake clinics”) have quietly scrubbed misleading language about privacy protections from their websites.
Earlier this year, EFF sent complaints to attorneys general in eight states (FL, TX, AR, and MO, TN, OK, NE, and NC), asking them to investigate these centers for misleading the public with false claims about their privacy practices—specifically, falsely stating or implying that they are bound by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). These claims are especially deceptive because many of these centers are not licensed medical clinics or do not have any medical providers on staff, and thus are not subject to HIPAA’s protections.
Now, after an internal follow-up investigation, we’ve found that our efforts are already bearing fruit: Of the 21 CPCs we cited as exhibits in our complaints, six have completely removed HIPAA references from their websites, and one has made partial changes (removed one of two misleading claims). Notably, every center we flagged in our letters to Texas AG Ken Paxton and Arkansas AG Tim Griffin has updated its website—a clear sign that clinics in these states are responding to scrutiny.
While 14 remain unchanged, this is a promising development. These centers are clearly paying attention—and changing their messaging. We haven’t yet received substantive responses from the state attorneys general beyond formal...
The federal government has confirmed that it will not be issuing new stimulus checks this summer, debunking circulating online rumors. What Happened: On Friday, the internet was abuzz with rumors ...