Biden Enacts Data Transfer Agreement to Secure US-EU Data Transmission
In a notable shift, President Joe Biden has signed an executive order designed to curb the reach of U.S. intelligence agencies into Americans' personal data. This move is part of a broader data-sharing agreement between Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyden, which was initiated back in March.
The decision comes after the EU nixed transatlantic data flow in 2020, causing a significant disruption to thousands of small and medium-sized businesses that could no longer transfer personal data across the Atlantic. The ongoing tussle between U.S. tech giants and EU regulators has resulted in some rather intense squabbles.
During a press conference discussing the executive order, Gina Raimondo, the secretary of commerce, stated, "The EU-U.S. data privacy framework includes robust commitments to strengthen the privacy and civil liberties safeguards for signals intelligence to ensure the privacy of EU personal data."
The newly signed executive order, titled Executive Order 14117, deals with the transfer of bulk sensitive personal data and government-related data across borders. It's an extension of previous national security measures implemented by both President Donald Trump and President Biden themselves, with regulations issued by the U.S. Attorney General and other agencies to govern restricted and prohibited transactions.
Key provisions within the order include prohibiting certain data transfers altogether and limiting transactions involving agreements with countries of concern or covered persons. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have issued regulations to implement these provisions.
This order's implementation may have various implications for the EU-U.S. data privacy framework. U.S. companies handling sensitive data could face new challenges when it comes to compliance, potentially impacting their relationships with EU counterparts. The focus on protecting sensitive data from foreign adversaries might also lead to a reevaluation of the EU's perception of U.S. data privacy practices. However, it's important to note that the order does not directly address the access of U.S. intelligence agencies to personal data, with the broader implications for intelligence-gathering practices yet to be seen.
- The executive order signed by President Joe Biden, titled Executive Order 14117, includes policy-and-legislation changes that aim to curb technology-related activities, specifically the transfer of bulk sensitive personal data and government-related data across borders.
- The ongoing debate between U.S. tech giants and EU regulators, as seen in the EU's nixing of transatlantic data flow in 2020, has brought technology and politics into the general news Spotlight, with implications for future policy-and-legislation on data privacy.
