US Introduces New Regulations to Prevent China, Russia, and Iran from Accessing Large-Scale American Data

25 October 2024
The U.S. Justice Department introduced new regulations on Monday to safeguard federal government data and large-scale personal data of Americans from countries like China, Iran, and Russia, by imposing restrictions on specific business transactions. The proposed rules, initially previewed in March, are part of an executive order issued by President Joe Biden earlier this year. The goal is to prevent foreign adversaries from exploiting American financial, genomic, and health data for cyberattacks, espionage, or blackmail. The regulations extend to other countries of concern, including Venezuela, Cuba, and North Korea. Washington has been actively working to restrict the flow of U.S. personal data to China amid ongoing tensions over trade and technology. Notably, in 2018, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) blocked China’s Ant Financial from acquiring MoneyGram International due to concerns over the security of data that could be used to identify U.S. citizens. Under the proposed rules, data brokers will be prohibited from engaging in transactions if they are aware that the information could end up in “countries of concern.” This restriction also includes the transfer of data on U.S. government personnel. The new regulations specify, for the first time, the types and quantities of data that cannot be transferred, such as human genomic data involving over 100 individuals or personal health and financial data covering more than 10,000 people. Transfers of precise geolocation data affecting over 1,000 U.S. devices are also barred. The Justice Department will enforce compliance through both civil and criminal penalties. Officials noted that the new rules could impact Chinese applications like TikTok if they transmit sensitive data from U.S. users to a Chinese parent company. To find out more details please visit : https://www.reuters.com/ |