New US rules to restrict access to bulk data by China, Russia, Iran

New US Justice Department Rules to Protect Data from Foreign Adversaries

The US Justice Department has proposed new rules to safeguard federal government data and Americans’ personal data from countries like China, Iran, and Russia. The aim is to limit certain business transactions that could potentially expose sensitive information to these foreign adversaries.

This proposal aligns with an executive order issued by President Joe Biden earlier this year, which seeks to prevent cyberattacks, espionage, and blackmail by foreign entities accessing American financial, genomic, and health data. The US has been particularly cautious about data flowing to China due to trade and technology disputes.

Notably, in 2018, a US panel blocked China’s Ant Financial from acquiring MoneyGram International over concerns about data security. The new rules will also prohibit transactions with data brokers who knowingly share information with countries deemed risky.