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On September 1 at midnight, Senate Bill 8—known as the Heartbeat Act—went into effect in Texas, effectively criminalizing abortion in the state in a blatant violation of Roe v. Wade.
The law bans abortions after six weeks, before many even know they're pregnant. What's more, it allows anyone who aided or abetted the procedure—from doctors who perform an abortion to Uber drivers who transport someone to a clinic—to be subject to criminal liability. The law offers up to a $10 thousand bounty to those who successfully report an illegal abortion.
The Supreme Court, which has the power to issue an emergency halt of the law, has yet to act—a possible reflection of its conservative majority.
Now, anti-choice activists at Texas Right to Life have launched an anonymous tipline to enforce the law, calling on Texans to report their neighbors for suspected illegal abortions.
This is real, and it made me cry. https://t.co/kVQ5qvwBOc https://t.co/OgkzgjtDU2— Deborah Copaken (@Deborah Copaken) 1630518062.0
The site states:
"Texas Right to Life will ensure that these lawbreakers are held accountable for their actions. Use the links below to report anyone who is violating the Texas Heartbeat Act by aiding or abetting a post-heartbeat abortion. And report any person or entity that aids or abets (or that intends to aid or abet) an illegal abortion in Texas."
Amid extreme backlash to the bill across the nation, some called on their followers to spam the line with bogus reports.
Hey everybody, there’s a whistle blower website to report women getting abortions in Texas and I have been working… https://t.co/zhBklXzwPc— Cam (@Cam) 1629814614.0
I plan on starting off each morning with a report or two over coffee and flex my ability to tell people what to do!… https://t.co/fo6mnWOay9— Dr. Sarah Parcak (@Dr. Sarah Parcak) 1630501637.0
Social media users more than delivered.
You can now anonymously report abortions occurring in Texas. It does not require email verification. Type whatever… https://t.co/oV7zJW7SMe— Jon Adams™ (@Jon Adams™) 1629832963.0
Truly would be a shame if this website was inundated with BS and forced to shut down…. Doing my part!… https://t.co/Q892AgFksA— becca midwest👩🏻💻 (@becca midwest👩🏻💻) 1629554784.0
This is highly unethical crap, so I suggest we make lots of reports to keep these nutjobs busy.… https://t.co/oKHeJcm9b4— Doña Ximena RN, Hail Belzeboobs 🟩 🩺💉💉 (@Doña Ximena RN, Hail Belzeboobs 🟩 🩺💉💉) 1629584405.0
unhinging on some Texas Republicans join the fun https://t.co/zQczxggRD8 https://t.co/7iFuFBSwZE— megadad 🌈 (@megadad 🌈) 1629648114.0
Whatever you do, don’t spam this link with nonsense. This is only to be used for legitimate abortion whistleblowing… https://t.co/UGEd6IkMuy— Bi_Laws (@Bi_Laws) 1629663204.0
Remember to report suspicious anti abortion activity in TX using this anonymous form! Here's my latest submission!… https://t.co/6YgDRQM4RH— Maqart (@Maqart) 1629824960.0
There's growing pressure on the Supreme Court to halt the law's enforcement.