GoDaddy is kicking Texas abortion 'whistleblower' site from its servers

The web hosting company says the anti-abortion group violated its terms of service.

Abrar Al-Heeti Technology Reporter

Abrar Al-Heeti is a technology reporter for CNET, with an interest in phones, streaming, internet trends, entertainment, pop culture and digital accessibility. She's also worked for CNET's video, culture and news teams. She graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Though Illinois is home, she now loves San Francisco -- steep inclines and all.

Expertise Abrar has spent her career at CNET analyzing tech trends while also writing news, reviews and commentaries across mobile, streaming and online culture. Credentials

Named a Tech Media Trailblazer by the Consumer Technology Association in 2019, a winner of SPJ NorCal's Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2022 and has three times been a finalist in the LA Press Club's National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards.

See full bio

Abrar Al-Heeti

Sept. 3, 2021 4:28 p.m. PT

2 min read

Web hosting company GoDaddy said it's removing an abortion "whistleblower" website for violating its terms of service. The site, by anti-abortion group Texas Right to Life, is designed for people to report anyone going against Senate Bill 8, a new Texas law banning abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. "Texas Right to Life will ensure that these lawbreakers are held accountable for their actions," the site reads.

"Last night we informed prolifewhistleblower.com they have violated GoDaddy's terms of service and have 24 hours to move to a different provider," a GoDaddy representative said in a statement Friday.

The representative added that Texas Right to Life "violated multiple provisions," including section 5.2 of its terms of service, which says: "You will not collect or harvest (or permit anyone else to collect or harvest) any User Content (as defined below) or any non-public or personally identifiable information about another User or any other person or entity without their express prior written consent."

Texas Right to Life didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

This comes after other major companies have spoken out against the law, including Uber and Lyft, which said Friday they'll cover legal fees for drivers sued under SB8 while driving on their platforms. The Texas law is one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country, with no exceptions for rape or incest. It allows individuals to sue people aiding in an abortion, including doctors and anyone helping to pay for the procedure or driving the person to a clinic, The New York Times reported.