Aiexpress – President Joe Biden is set to take action by issuing an executive order that aims to safeguard the most confidential information of Americans online from foreign “countries of concern.”
Biden plans to grant authorization to Attorney General Merrick Garland and the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene and prevent the widespread transfer of Americans’ personal data to countries known for their history of collecting and misusing such information. Additionally, measures will be implemented to safeguard against other activities that could potentially jeopardize this data.
Protected information encompasses a range of sensitive data, including genomic data, personal health data, geolocation data, financial data, and specific personal identification data. This type of information is highly sought after by data brokers and cyber criminals for various nefarious purposes. It enables them to engage in activities such as blackmailing individuals, conducting surveillance on others, and perpetrating scams, which raises serious privacy concerns.
The White House emphasized that companies are gathering a greater amount of data from Americans than ever before, and this information is frequently sold and resold by data brokers in accordance with the law.
Commercial data brokers and other companies have the ability to sell this data to countries that are of concern. Additionally, the data may also end up in the hands of foreign intelligence services, militaries, or entities controlled by foreign governments.
The Biden administration is anticipated to request the Justice Department to issue regulations that will establish explicit safeguards for sensitive information. Additionally, the administration aims to enhance the protection of government-related data and implement stringent high-security standards to deter malicious individuals.
The Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security are collaborating to establish standards that will help prevent countries of concern from gaining access to Americans’ data through commercial channels, which includes relationships with employees, vendors, and investments.
Furthermore, the federal agencies responsible for health, defense, and veterans affairs will receive instructions to safeguard Americans’ sensitive health data from being exposed to countries of concern. This includes ensuring that federal grants, contracts, and awards are not utilized by companies based within the United States that pose a risk to the security of this data.
The Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the United States Telecom Services Sector will consider the potential risks to American personal data while evaluating licenses for submarine cables.
Lastly, the administration will order the agencies to ensure that these protections do not hinder access to essential information for financial services or disrupt consumer, economic, scientific, and trade connections between the United States and other nations.
The White House stated that these actions not only align with the long-standing support of the United States for the trusted free flow of data but also demonstrate a consistent commitment to an open Internet. This commitment includes strong and effective protections for individual privacy, as well as measures to uphold governments’ abilities to enforce laws and advance policies in the public interest.
