US orders diplomats to push back on data sovereignty

The US government has ordered its diplomats to actively oppose other countries’ attempts to introduce so-called data sovereignty laws that restrict how and where foreign technology companies can store and handle citizens’ data, according to Reuters.

In an internal memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the US describes such rules as a threat to free data flows, AI development, and cloud services. The Trump Administration believes that data localization could increase costs, create cybersecurity risks, and give governments greater control over information.

At the same time, support for data sovereignty is growing, especially in Europe, where there are concerns about privacy, surveillance, and US dominance in AI and tech. The EU’s GDPR is mentioned in the document as an example of rules that the US considers unnecessarily restrictive.

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AndyC

Andy Curtis is an award-winning security consultant, researcher and public speaker. He has been working in the computer security industry since the early 1990s, having been employed by state and federal government, leading healthcare and banking providers across three continents. He has given talks about computer security for some of the world’s largest companies, worked with law enforcement agencies on investigations into hacking groups, and is a regular voice on TV and radio explaining IT security threats.

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