President Joe Biden has issued an executive order aimed at halting the widespread sale and transfer of Americans’ private data to designated “countries of concern,” including North Korea, Russia, Cuba, China, and Venezuela.
Strengthening Data Privacy and National Security
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland highlighted the urgency of this action, stating, “Our adversaries are exploiting Americans’ sensitive personal data to threaten our national security. They are purchasing this data to use to blackmail and surveil individuals, target those they view as dissidents here in the United States, and engage in other malicious activities.”
He further emphasized the scope of the executive order, “This Executive Order gives the Justice Department the authority to block countries that pose a threat to our national security from harvesting Americans’ most sensitive personal data—including human genomic data, biometric and personal identifiers, and personal health and financial data.”
Implementation and Enforcement
The order mandates the U.S. Department of Justice to establish and manage a new national security program aimed at countering the threats posed by the unauthorized access to sensitive personal data by foreign entities.
The directive also necessitates the formulation of new regulations to either prohibit or severely restrict transactions involving certain types of data that are deemed to pose a significant national security risk.
It also focuses on Americans’ personal information, including genomic, biometric, health, geolocation, financial data, and other identifiable information. Such data, when misused, can lead to serious privacy breaches, including surveillance, scams, blackmail, and other forms of privacy invasion.
Risk and Concerns
The White House has issued a fact sheet warning of the grave privacy, counterintelligence, and national security risks associated with the sale of American data, particularly to those involved in the military or national security sectors.
Adversary countries might use the sensitive personal data of Americans to gather information on a wide array of individuals including activists, academics, journalists, and political figures. This could potentially be used to intimidate, suppress dissent, and infringe upon the civil liberties of U.S. citizens.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has already taken measures against data brokers involved in the sale of precise location data of Americans, which could potentially be used for tracking purposes.
Final Word
The executive order signed by President Biden represents a crucial stride towards protecting the personal data of Americans from foreign threats. By implementing stringent regulations against the mass sale and transfer of sensitive information to high-risk countries, the U.S. is reinforcing its commitment to national security and the privacy of its citizens.
Anas Hasan
February 29, 2024
2 months ago
