Drew Harwell

The Biden executive order we reported on Monday is being issued today: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/02/26/biden-sensitive-data-china-ban/

Will block bulk sale of biometric, financial, genomic, geolocation and health data to China and other "countries of concern." White House called it "the most significant executive action any President has ever taken to protect Americans’ data security"

New Biden order would stem flow of Americans’ sensitive data to China

The effort aims to forestall foreign adversaries’ use of data to identify, target and surveil Americans.

The Washington Post
Feb 28, 2024 at 10:38amYuito
Show threadDrew HarwellFeb 28, 2024

Sen. Wyden:

"The Administration’s decision to limit personal data flows only to a handful of countries of concern, like China, is a mistake. Authoritarian dictatorships like Saudi Arabia and UAE cannot be trusted with Americans' personal data," either. And ...

“The Administration has argued Congress should not ban the U.S. government from buying Americans' data, because such protections would put the U.S. at a disadvantage to China and Russia. With this EO, that argument is no longer valid”

Show threadhappyborgFeb 28, 2024

@drewharwell a year from now governments will be looking for a solution like #SafeNetwork, and it will be there. But they won't want anyone else to use it, just like encryption.

It will be a big fight.

Show threadKyle CopasFeb 28, 2024

@drewharwell
Calling that "the most significant executive action any President has ever taken to protect Americans’ data security" is not the flex they intend it to be.

Erasmus’s line on the realm of a one-eyed king seems more a useful subtext.

Show threadMisuse CaseFeb 28, 2024
@drewharwell We are going to find data brokers either violating this outright or selling it to other countries who then sell it to China. We need real privacy legislation that puts limits on data brokers domestically.
Show threadCJ Paloma Likes Longer DaysFeb 28, 2024

@MisuseCase @drewharwell

AND what about problems stemming from domestic brokers selling to deep pocketed domestic…uh…problematic folks ??

Show threadMisuse CaseFeb 28, 2024
@cjpaloma @drewharwell Like our own intelligence agencies, which is why lawmakers don’t want to do anything about data brokers. :/
Show threadMrAptronymFeb 28, 2024
@drewharwell Was excited until I read "to China" the US needs actual proper domestic data protections.
Show threadenoch_exe_incFeb 28, 2024

@MrAptronym @drewharwell That drew some concerns for me as well. Given the lack of a proper healthcare system in your country, isn’t it wiser to send this data to a country with not only one of the most extensive healthcare systems but also the highest research output in the world?

But, whatever. I’m sure the domestic info brokers will soon pick up the slack and nullify this act almost immediately.

Show threadJohn GordonFeb 28, 2024
@drewharwell Feels like it’s aimed at TikTok
Show threadCykonotFeb 28, 2024
@drewharwell this is not privacy rights
Show threadNiniFeb 28, 2024
@drewharwell Would be cool if they'd make sure such data is also protected from sale to corporations of any country but alas and alack, such protections are over-reaching and therefore must be limited to countries of concern and not corporations of concern in addition.