US lobbies against global data regulation

President Donald Trump’s administration has instructed US diplomats to lobby against efforts to regulate how American technology companies handle foreign data. The directive is set out in an internal diplomatic cable dated 18 February and signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

According to the document, seen by Reuters, such legislation could disrupt global data flows, raise costs and cyber security risks, constrain artificial intelligence and cloud services and expand government control.

The cable calls for the promotion of a ‘more assertive international data policy’ and urges diplomats to push back against data localisation mandates. At the same time, the United States declares its support for cross-border data flows while maintaining privacy, security and freedom of expression.

Data sovereignty initiatives are gathering pace, particularly in Europe. The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), introduced in 2018, imposed restrictions on data transfers and led to fines for US companies. The cable also refers to China, which, according to the document, links technology projects to restrictive data policies.

Diplomats are instructed to monitor proposals that would limit data flows and to support the Global Forum for Cross-Border Privacy Rules.

(reuters, max)