When the State Stops Trusting Its Citizens

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A government that doesn’t trust its citizens spies on them. This is increasingly the case in Missouri, where there have been several attempts to spy on women, and in some cases, track their menstrual cycles.

You heard that right. Some Missouri officials have already acted as if it’s their business to know the intimate details of every woman’s life. Presumably, this knowledge lets them know when a woman might be pregnant so they can mobilize the “pregnancy police” to make sure that she makes “the right decision.”

The above might seem like a slight exaggeration, but it’s not too far from the truth. Consider these scenarios, which have already taken place in Missouri.

1. In 2019, Dr. Randall Williams served as the director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). He was caught with a spreadsheet that monitored the menstrual periods of Planned Parenthood patients. Dr. Williams had directed the state’s main investigator to compile the list.

2. Earlier this year (2025), State Representative Phil Amato proposed House Bill 807 that would create a state registry of every expectant mother who may be considered “at risk for seeking abortion services.” The bill did not specify what it means to be “at risk,” nor how a woman’s name would end up on the list. It left the door open for anyone — from a neighbor to a clergyman — to identify a pregnant woman as “at risk” without her knowledge or consent. Once on the list, the state would proactively reach out to her through state personnel, private contractors, or other community services to ensure she makes decisions consistent with the moral standards of the state legislature. In essence, she becomes state property.

3. The Missouri Attorney General recently subpoenaed Planned Parenthood for patient abortion records. The AG argues that it qualifies as a “health oversight agency,” and therefore, is exempt from restrictions on private medical information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, also known as HIPAA. Their stated goal in seeking the information is to strengthen regulations that limit access to abortion procedures. However, the reality is that people’s personal medical information could be exposed to state officials and private contractors, and could be used in unpredictable ways.

Each case reflects a dangerous pattern: the state positioning itself as moral guardian, and citizens’ private lives becoming data points in its crusade. As a result, the state wants to spy on citizens without their knowledge or consent. Worse, as pointed out in the example of House Bill 807, the state makes it acceptable for citizens to spy on one another.

Whether or not you believe abortion should be legal, you should be alarmed by these developments. Why? Because what we’re witnessing is a slippery slope. There are those within our state government who believe they have the authority to collect private information from institutions and individuals, share this data with state actors and private contractors, and insert themselves in people’s lives. The current excuse is to “protect the unborn,” which many might see as a noble goal. But who gets to decide what is “noble” in this context? Could this lead to a future where citizens spy on each other and report on their friends and neighbors for "anti-government" conversations and actions?

This article might seem overly alarmist, but remember that every wildfire starts with a spark. Likewise, every authoritarian regime cites noble goals, like security or sanctity of life, on its road to spying on its citizens and ultimately controlling their lives.

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