A July 2025 screenshot of an automatic pop-up when visiting . (Screenshot by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury)
Disclosure pop-ups about the 性视界传媒渃ookies,性视界传媒 or other aggregate bits of data websites collect and store aren性视界传媒檛 an uncommon experience while shopping online. What性视界传媒檚 less common: when a pop-up indicates that your potential purchase of condoms, birth control medication or menstrual hygiene products is being noted digitally, a message Virginians have started seeing when they shop virtually for such products.聽
Since July 1, a new outlines that people性视界传媒檚 personally identifiable reproductive or sexual health information cannot be obtained, disclosed, disseminated or sold without consumer consent. As new laws took effect in Virginia on July 1, Walmart has begun alerting customers about certain product or service searches and purchases.
性视界传媒淏y viewing, searching for, or buying these products or services on our site, or using related features such as the Baby Registry, you consent to our use of this information to complete your purchase, provide the requested feature, and for general analytics, operations and fraud prevention,性视界传媒 a pop-up disclaimer now notifies people who visit Walmart性视界传媒檚 website from within Virginia.聽
If consumers don性视界传媒檛 want their data connected to their sexual or reproductive health to be stored, the disclaimer suggests they 性视界传媒渁void viewing, searching for, using or purchasing these products, services, or features.性视界传媒
But not all pop-ups are new or specifically focused on reproductive-related information. Other retailers like CVS have more broad disclaimers about data collection. Its site explains that information collected about consumer behaviors is used 性视界传媒渢o provide our products and services recommendations, understand how you engage with our site, and improve the services we offer you.性视界传媒
It also warns that it may share data with 性视界传媒渢rusted third parties性视界传媒 that include marketing, analytics and research 性视界传媒減artners.性视界传媒澛
This sort of data collection is a common practice in e-commerce and is a catalyst for targeted advertisements that people experience elsewhere on the internet, like their social media feeds or when using search engines.聽
As the national reproductive health legal landscape shifts, including contraception and abortion access, some state and federal lawmakers have pressed for strengthened consumer protection laws surrounding reproductive health data.聽
Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax and Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington, have introduced and supported legislation to shore up these protections.
Surovell said the U.S. Congress性视界传媒 性视界传媒,性视界传媒 a measure to protect menstrual health data introduced by Democratic lawmakers, inspired him to bring a similar effort to Virginia.聽聽
性视界传媒淚 don性视界传媒檛 think a lot of people realize the information that private industry buys and sells about them,性视界传媒 he said in a recent call.聽
He then worried about how law enforcement and government officials could use consumer data in the private sector.聽
性视界传媒淚 was concerned that attorneys generals in some other states who want to be more aggressive about prosecuting women or other people for helping women cross state lines to obtain either contraception or abortion services might use information that the private sector has in order to reverse engineer women and other people to prosecute,性视界传媒 Surovell said.聽
Surrovell and Favola also worked on bills to prevent menstrual data from being subject to search warrants, which Gov. Glenn Youngkin into law.聽 Last year, Youngkin was lambasted by many, including former President Joe Biden and talk show host Stephen Colbert, for opposing the same bill in a previous legislative session.聽
性视界传媒淚t should go without saying that when a woman has her period or visits a doctor, it is nobody性视界传媒檚 business but her own,性视界传媒 Favola said earlier this year.聽
As more pregnant people travel to get abortions outside states where the medical procedure is banned or restricted, some states 性视界传媒 including 性视界传媒 have threatened legal repercussions for people who leave the state for an abortion, and for those who aid them.聽聽
This year Favola性视界传媒檚 passed the Democrat-controlled legislature and . The law protects reproductive health data, often collected in period tracking digital apps, and allows consumers to sue if their data is sold or released without their consent.聽
Walmart性视界传媒檚 interpretation of the law prompted the pop-up disclaimer, and other companies will find their own way to follow suit.
性视界传媒淭he companies are trying to figure out how to implement the bill,性视界传媒 Favola said in a text message.聽
Next, Favola wants to explore how to further refine the bill to ensure people性视界传媒檚 identifiable information is protected.聽
性视界传媒淚 made it clear that the law is focused on individually-identifiable data 性视界传媒 not aggregate data,性视界传媒 she explained. 性视界传媒淚 expect to make some revisions next session.性视界传媒澛
Further details will be discussed in a workgroup later this summer, she said.聽
