Pro-choice and anti-abortion protestors face off outside the Supreme Court.Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty
A coder is usingTikTokto encourage others to resist Texas' anti-abortion law.
Earlier this week, the Supreme Courtvotednot to block ahighly restrictive Texas law that bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, allowing the law to remain in place for now.
With their decision,abortions after six weeks of pregnancy— before many women know they are pregnant — are banned in the state,making it the most restrictive abortion law in the countryand essentially eliminating the rights established in Roe v. Wade.
Under the law, private citizens can also sue abortion providers whom they suspect illegally performed an abortion after six weeks or anyone who aided in an abortion, including driving someone to a clinic or helping them with the cost. If the lawsuit is successful, they will be awarded a minimum of $10,000.
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In hisfirst videoshared on TikTok, Black said that his system was able to send a fake tip to the Texas website around every 10 to 15 seconds. In asecond video, Black noted that the system then sent about 300 tips, before the website blocked his IP address.
To get around being unable to send in more tips, Black thencreated an iOS shortcutso anyone with an iPhone can disrupt the Texas Right to Life website.
The mobile shortcut finds a random city, county and zip code within the state and fills out other required information as needed, before it sends it all through to the site. “Because it uses realistic information, it makes it harder for them to parse their data,” Black explains in the clip.
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Speaking with VICE’s technology vertical,Motherboard, Black said that the idea for creating the system to overwhelm the anti-abortion website with fake tips came from fellow TikTok user @victoriahammett.
“To me the McCarthyism era tactics of turning neighbors against each other over a bill I feel is a violation of Roe V Wade is unacceptable,” Black added in a statement to the outlet. “There are people on TikTok using their platform to educate and do their part. I believe this is me doing mine.”
source: people.com
