From Berlin with Solidarity

Clue has launched a new campaign, From Berlin With Solidarity, to advocate for health data privacy on the one-year anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The campaign is a passion project by American Clue users and advertising creatives, Amy Char, Heather Patterson, and Ashley Milhollin.

The pro-bono project brings attention to the very real fear of reproductive surveillance faced by women and people with cycles today in US states where the loss of reproductive rights means people are afraid that their health data could be used to prosecute them for seeking abortion. 

“I was living in Berlin when GDPR went into effect in the EU, so I remember what a big deal it was,” Char says. “After Roe was overturned, I saw a viral tweet advising people to delete their period tracking apps. But I immediately went to Clue’s Instagram and saw a refreshingly honest and transparent post about how they wouldn’t respond to any subpoenas from the US authorities.”

In partnership with Quan Media Group, the out-of-home (OOH) component of the campaign will run in German-named US towns (Hamburg, Arkansas, Heidelberg, Texas, and Kiel, Wisconsin) located in states with abortion bans. The billboards act as bold reminders that even if you use Clue in America, your period tracking privacy is protected by EU data protection laws.

“No matter where in the world our users are, we have a legal obligation, and even more importantly, a basic moral imperative to ensure that their private health data serves them, and is not used against them. For technology and data to work for us as women and people with cycles, we cannot be self-censoring our private observations about our own bodies. ” says Clue Co-CEO, Carrie Walter, adding: “There is nothing funny about a lack of privacy rights that allows for reproductive surveillance. But sometimes subversion is the best way to make a really serious point.”

“Welcome to Hamburg, Arkansas where your right to period tracking privacy is protected by Hamburg, Germany.” reads one billboard. Another one: “What’s the super long German word for ‘privacy-based period tracking app that won’t give your data to the US authorities?’ Clue.”

Clue Co-CEO Audrey Tsang adds: “Movements need creativity and passion, and to be able to work with such a talented team of creatives who happen to also be passionate Clue users on a campaign is nothing short of awe-inspiring. We hope this campaign will spark a conversation about the importance of privacy rights for equal healthcare.” 

Working across international waters and many time zones (and with full-time jobs!) to bring this idea to life, Char, Patterson, and Milhollin pitched the idea to Clue in November 2022 and handled all facets–from media buying to production–to get it into the world in time for the anniversary of this event. 

In a statement from the creative team, they said: “When we pitched this idea to Clue, we told them, ‘We actually wish we weren’t talking to you about this right now.’ We were devastated and horrified after hearing the Supreme Court decision last June. Which is exactly why we volunteered our time and talents to tell Americans that if they use Clue, their right to period tracking privacy is still protected—but by Germany, not America—and by a female-led team that builds femtech to actually serve its community.”