White House bans sales of Americans’ data to certain countries

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden issued an executive order banning the sale of Americans’ sensitive data to China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela, identifying them as “countries of concern.” The order authorizes the attorney general to prevent the transfer of data and provides safeguards around activities that can give such countries access to Americans’ data. It especially focuses on genomic data, biometric data, personal health data, geolocation data, financial data, and other identifiable information. The countries of concern can use the data in espionage and coercion activities and have a track record of gathering and misusing Americans’ data, according to the Department of Justice.

What happens next? The DOJ will further regulate the protection of Americans’ personal data and government data. The DOJ and Department of Homeland Security will also work together to make sure that personal data is not available through commercial means, such as employment.

Dig deeper: Listen to Mary Muncy’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast about images generated by artificial intelligence.