Uncle Sam tells nosy nations to keep their hands off Americans' personal data
(2024/02/28)
- Reference: 1709115425
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/02/28/white_house_sensitive_data/
- Source link:
US President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order today that aims to prevent the sale or transfer of Americans' sensitive personal information and government-related data to adversarial countries including China and Russia.
In addition to the executive order, the White House will propose regulations that prohibit companies from directly or indirectly transferring large amounts of certain types of data to so-called "countries of concern" – China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela – according to a senior administration official.
The concern is that these countries, which can legally [1]buy Americans' sensitive information from data brokers and others, will use this to [2]undermine national security .
[3]
The categories of data included in the proposed data-transfer ban include genomic data, biometric identifiers, precise geolocation data, personal health data, personal financial data, specific personal identifiers, and certain sensitive government-related data, we're told.
[4]
[5]
It will include exemptions for certain routine commercial translations and other activities related to business operations within multinational corporations such as payroll.
And it's unlikely to take effect anytime soon.
[6]
First, the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will be published in the Federal Register, and then the proposed regulation will undergo at least two rounds of public comment – so companies will have plenty of time to weigh in on the new data protection law.
Once the rule does become law, it will be enforced by the US Justice Department.
Currently there's a gap in US law that this data protection program aims to fill, according to a senior DoJ official on a call with reporters.
[7]
"No existing authority or law comprehensively addresses the national security risk posed by access to countries of concern to sensitive personal data through routine commercial transactions," the senior official said.
[8]Data tracking poses a 'national security risk' FTC told
[9]Congress told how Chinese goons plan to incite 'societal chaos' in the US
[10]You can buy personal info of US military staff from data brokers for just 12 cents a pop
[11]OpenAI shuts down China, Russia, Iran, N Korea accounts caught doing naughty things
"Countries are leveraging their access to Americans' bulk sensitive personal data, and government-related data to engage in a variety of [12]nefarious activities , including [13]malicious cyber-enabled activities , [14]espionage , and blackmail," the official added.
The White House is also concerned about certain countries using this data to train AI models and [15]influence groups of people in the US and abroad. Plus, it can be used to collect information on activists, journalists, dissidents, and politicians, which then can be used for intimidation, prosecution or worse.
That Meta GDPR fine is €1.2B. Plus biz must stop sending EU data to US [16]READ MORE
Today's actions are "not a substitute" for a [17]national data privacy law , the senior administration official said. "President Biden continues to urge Congress to pass comprehensive bipartisan privacy legislation."
We don't suggest holding your breath for that one. ®
Get our [18]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/07/data_brokers_military_data/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2022/09/09/data_tracking_national_security_risk/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Zd8SV2W47fMNOW@9pnQ9AQAAAAk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Zd8SV2W47fMNOW@9pnQ9AQAAAAk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Zd8SV2W47fMNOW@9pnQ9AQAAAAk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Zd8SV2W47fMNOW@9pnQ9AQAAAAk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Zd8SV2W47fMNOW@9pnQ9AQAAAAk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/09/09/data_tracking_national_security_risk/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/01/china_attack_warning/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/07/data_brokers_military_data/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/15/openai_microsoft_spying/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/01/china_attack_warning/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/15/openai_microsoft_spying/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/15/feds_go_fancy_bear_hunting/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2023/03/29/china_tiktok_trojan_horse/
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2023/05/22/dpc_fines_meta_12b_tells/
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2022/11/15/us_midterm_elections_privacy/
[18] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
In addition to the executive order, the White House will propose regulations that prohibit companies from directly or indirectly transferring large amounts of certain types of data to so-called "countries of concern" – China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela – according to a senior administration official.
The concern is that these countries, which can legally [1]buy Americans' sensitive information from data brokers and others, will use this to [2]undermine national security .
[3]
The categories of data included in the proposed data-transfer ban include genomic data, biometric identifiers, precise geolocation data, personal health data, personal financial data, specific personal identifiers, and certain sensitive government-related data, we're told.
[4]
[5]
It will include exemptions for certain routine commercial translations and other activities related to business operations within multinational corporations such as payroll.
And it's unlikely to take effect anytime soon.
[6]
First, the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking will be published in the Federal Register, and then the proposed regulation will undergo at least two rounds of public comment – so companies will have plenty of time to weigh in on the new data protection law.
Once the rule does become law, it will be enforced by the US Justice Department.
Currently there's a gap in US law that this data protection program aims to fill, according to a senior DoJ official on a call with reporters.
[7]
"No existing authority or law comprehensively addresses the national security risk posed by access to countries of concern to sensitive personal data through routine commercial transactions," the senior official said.
[8]Data tracking poses a 'national security risk' FTC told
[9]Congress told how Chinese goons plan to incite 'societal chaos' in the US
[10]You can buy personal info of US military staff from data brokers for just 12 cents a pop
[11]OpenAI shuts down China, Russia, Iran, N Korea accounts caught doing naughty things
"Countries are leveraging their access to Americans' bulk sensitive personal data, and government-related data to engage in a variety of [12]nefarious activities , including [13]malicious cyber-enabled activities , [14]espionage , and blackmail," the official added.
The White House is also concerned about certain countries using this data to train AI models and [15]influence groups of people in the US and abroad. Plus, it can be used to collect information on activists, journalists, dissidents, and politicians, which then can be used for intimidation, prosecution or worse.
That Meta GDPR fine is €1.2B. Plus biz must stop sending EU data to US [16]READ MORE
Today's actions are "not a substitute" for a [17]national data privacy law , the senior administration official said. "President Biden continues to urge Congress to pass comprehensive bipartisan privacy legislation."
We don't suggest holding your breath for that one. ®
Get our [18]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/07/data_brokers_military_data/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2022/09/09/data_tracking_national_security_risk/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Zd8SV2W47fMNOW@9pnQ9AQAAAAk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Zd8SV2W47fMNOW@9pnQ9AQAAAAk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Zd8SV2W47fMNOW@9pnQ9AQAAAAk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Zd8SV2W47fMNOW@9pnQ9AQAAAAk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Zd8SV2W47fMNOW@9pnQ9AQAAAAk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/09/09/data_tracking_national_security_risk/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/01/china_attack_warning/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/07/data_brokers_military_data/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/15/openai_microsoft_spying/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/01/china_attack_warning/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/15/openai_microsoft_spying/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/15/feds_go_fancy_bear_hunting/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2023/03/29/china_tiktok_trojan_horse/
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2023/05/22/dpc_fines_meta_12b_tells/
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2022/11/15/us_midterm_elections_privacy/
[18] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Pot, meet kettle...
Pascal Monett
Entirely agree. It is very rich to hear this coming from the White House, when the US is a country which has already been subject to privacy treaties and addendums, just to try and keep the data slurping slightly in check.
If it wasn't for Max Schrems, the US would still be the black hole hoovering every single bit of data it wants to be. And I'm not sure that the valiant efforts of Schrems and company have really put any sort of dent into that practice.
My irony meter just broke
David Harper 1
The hypocrisy of the U.S. government is breathtaking. If, like me, you're a non-American married to an ex-pat American, living outside the United States, then the U.S. Treasury Department demands access to details of any joint bank accounts that you and your American spouse hold in non-U.S. banks if the balance ever exceeds $10,000. Many non-American financial institutions now refuse to take on ex-pat Americans as customers, because the U.S. government threatens non-compliant banks with severe penalties.
“ aims to prevent the sale or transfer of Americans' sensitive personal information”
Roland6
Will this mean non-US HQ’d versions of 23andMe (for example) will have to check the citizenship of users so they don’t accidentally buy genetic data etc. from US nationals? …
wolfetone
I thought I lost a month of my life reading this. But no, a quick check of my calendar tells me it's not 1st April today.
Pot, meet kettle...
I'd guess that the US is the world's #1 hoarder of personal information and the associated metadata of non-citizens.
For me, the US is a "country of concern".