The U.S. Justice Department announced new regulations on Monday aimed at preventing countries such as China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, and North Korea from accessing sensitive U.S. government data and Americans’ bulk personal information. These measures are part of an ongoing effort to protect national security by restricting certain business transactions involving data brokers.
The proposal, which follows an executive order signed by President Joe Biden earlier this year, seeks to safeguard accessible American financial, genomic, and health data from potential misuse by foreign adversaries for cyberattacks, espionage, and blackmail.
Officials emphasized that the new rules would prohibit transactions with data brokers who knowingly facilitate the transfer of sensitive information to designated “countries of concern.” Notably, any data related to U.S. government personnel will also be off-limits.
For the first time, the proposal outlines specific types and quantities of data that cannot be shared. This includes human genomic data concerning over 100 Americans and personal health or financial information related to more than 10,000 individuals. Additionally, the transfer of precise geolocation data from over 1,000 U.S. devices would be barred.
The enforcement of these regulations would empower the Justice Department to impose both criminal and civil penalties for noncompliance.
During a press briefing, U.S. officials indicated that popular Chinese applications like TikTok might violate the proposed rules if they transmit sensitive data from U.S. users to their Chinese parent company. This move marks a significant step in Washington’s long-standing efforts to restrict the flow of American personal data to foreign entities, a concern that has grown amid rising tensions over trade and technology.
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