• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Travel
  • Sports
  • Law/Justice
  • Celebrities
  • Film/TV/Stream
  • Republicans
  • Madonna
  • Books
  • Men
  • Trans Rights
  • Tech/Science
  • Royals
  • Monkeypox
  • Madonna’s Daughter Lourdes Leon Drops First Single & Steamy Music Video: WATCH
  • Jonathan Knight secretly marries boyfriend Harley Rodriguez
  • Ex-football star Herschel Walker’s woes hurt Republican chance of taking U.S. Senate

Exclusive-Biden eyes new ways to bar China from scooping up U.S. data

Towleroad May 11, 2022 Leave a Comment

Published by
Reuters
517478 origin 1

By Alexandra Alper and Karen Freifeld

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Biden administration has drafted an executive order that would give the Department of Justice vast powers to stop foreign adversaries like China from accessing Americans’ personal data, according to a person familiar with the matter and excerpts seen by Reuters.

The proposal, which is being reviewed by government agencies, would also direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prevent federal funding from supporting the transfer of U.S. health data to foreign adversaries, according to the excerpts.

The draft order reflects an effort by the administration to respond more aggressively to national security threats allegedly posed by Chinese companies that acquire reams of U.S. personal data, after failed bids by the Trump administration to bar Americans from using popular social media platforms TikTok and Wechat.

Former President Donald Trump tried to ban the apps in 2020 alleging data collected by them could be given to Beijing and used to track users and censor content. China and the apps have denied any improper use of U.S. data.

But the courts halted implementation of the bans and U.S. President Joe Biden eventually revoked them.

Spokespeople for the White House, the Department of Justice and the Commerce Department declined to comment. HHS did not respond to requests for comment.

The document is an initial draft that does not include input from government agencies and may change, according to another person familiar with the matter.

If implemented, the draft order would grant U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland the authority to review and potentially bar commercial transactions involving the sale of or access to data if they pose an undue risk to national security, one of the people said.

The proposal would also instruct the Department of Health and Human Services to get started on writing a rule “to ensure that federal assistance, such as grants and awards, is not supporting the transfer of U.S. persons’ health, health-related or biological data…to entities owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of foreign adversaries,” according to an excerpt.

U.S. intelligence has warned about the risks posed Chinese companies collecting Americans’ personal data by investing in U.S. firms that handle sensitive healthcare information. China’s BGI purchased U.S. genomic sequencing firm Complete Genomics in 2013 and in 2015, Chinese WuXi Pharma Tech acquired U.S. firm NextCODE Health, the National Counterintelligence and Security Center noted in a 2021 fact sheet.

The draft order comes as administration officials have grown frustrated with the Commerce Department over delays in rolling out rules and investigating threats under similar powers granted to that department by Trump in 2019, according to three people familiar with the process.

Those powers allow the Commerce Department to ban or restrict transactions between U.S. firms and internet, telecom and tech companies from “foreign adversary” nations, including Russia and China.

But so far, the department has failed to publish long-awaited rules fleshing out a safe harbor process for companies or announce the results of investigations into firms including Russia’s Kaspersky and China’s Alibaba, as previously reported by Reuters.

The Commerce Department was also explicitly directed by a June executive order to use the new tools to protect Americans’ sensitive data from foreign adversaries via transactions involving apps, but has not made public any progress related to the measure.

The new draft order gives the Department of Justice the express authority to “monitor compliance with and enforce any prohibitions, licenses, or mitigation agreements” issued under the prior executive orders, “thereby supporting the authority given to the Secretary of Commerce.”

It also tasks the Secretary of Commerce with establishing which classes of transactions are outright prohibited and which are exempt, another excerpt shows.

(Reporting by Alexandra Alper and Karen Freifeld; Editing by Chris Sanders and Alistair Bell)

Topics: Aaon, towleroad More Posts About: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, TikTok

Related Posts
  • Ivanka Trump & Jared Kushner Contently Stroll Hand-In-Hand As Donald Trump’s Legal Woes Mount
  • Biden to hold first political rally in run-up to November elections
  • U.S. releases 2019 memo opposing Trump obstruction charges
  • Jonathan Knight secretly marries boyfriend Harley Rodriguez

    Jonathan Knight secretly marries boyfriend Harley Rodriguez

    Published by BANG Showbiz English Jonathan Knight has married his boyfriend Harley Rodriguez. The New Kids on the Block star has confirmed he’s a married man after tying the knot with his longtime partner in secret …Read More »
  • Ex-football star Herschel Walker’s woes hurt Republican chance of taking U.S. Senate

    Ex-football star Herschel Walker’s woes hurt Republican chance of taking U.S. Senate

    Published by Reuters By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican hopes of taking control of the U.S. Senate in November could hinge on former football star Herschel Walker, a first-time candidate endorsed by Donald Trump, whose …Read More »
  • The Shocking Truth 25 Years After Princess Diana’s Tragic Death — Brother Charles Speaks Out

    The Shocking Truth 25 Years After Princess Diana’s Tragic Death — Brother Charles Speaks Out

    Published by OK Magazine mega August 31 marks the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana’s tragic death — and her only brother, Charles, proudly spoke out about his sister! “I’m always surprised by how difficult August 31 …Read More »
  • U.S. releases 2019 memo opposing Trump obstruction charges

    U.S. releases 2019 memo opposing Trump obstruction charges

    Published by Reuters By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Justice Department on Wednesday released under court order all of a 2019 memo https://www.justice.gov/file/1528466/download in which two top officials advised then-Attorney General William Barr not to …Read More »
Previous Post: « Fearing end of Roe v. Wade, liberal U.S. states rush to protect abortion rights
Next Post: Judge finds Florida’s Republican-backed congressional map illegally harms Black voters »

Primary Sidebar

Adjacent News

  • Ivanka Trump & Jared Kushner Contently Stroll Hand-In-Hand As Donald Trump’s Legal Woes Mount

    Ivanka Trump & Jared Kushner Contently Stroll Hand-In-Hand As Donald Trump’s Legal Woes Mount

  • Biden to hold first political rally in run-up to November elections

    Biden to hold first political rally in run-up to November elections

  • Trump has displayed ‘anxiety in private conversations’ following Mar-a-Lago search: report

    Trump has displayed ‘anxiety in private conversations’ following Mar-a-Lago search: report

Good Trash: Going to Read It Somewhere, Y’know

  • Duke and Duchess of Sussex adopt new rescue dog

    Duke and Duchess of Sussex adopt new rescue dog

  • Vanessa Bryant awarded 16m in damages over helicopter crash photos

    Vanessa Bryant awarded 16m in damages over helicopter crash photos

  • Lisa Scott-Lee recalls surreal dinner date with Michael Jackson

    Lisa Scott-Lee recalls surreal dinner date with Michael Jackson

RSS Partner Links

  • An error has occurred, which probably means the feed is down. Try again later.

Most Recent

  • Madonna’s Daughter Lourdes Leon Drops First Single & Steamy Music Video: WATCH

    Madonna’s Daughter Lourdes Leon Drops First Single & Steamy Music Video: WATCH

  • Jonathan Knight secretly marries boyfriend Harley Rodriguez

    Jonathan Knight secretly marries boyfriend Harley Rodriguez

  • Ex-football star Herschel Walker’s woes hurt Republican chance of taking U.S. Senate

    Ex-football star Herschel Walker’s woes hurt Republican chance of taking U.S. Senate

  • The Shocking Truth 25 Years After Princess Diana’s Tragic Death — Brother Charles Speaks Out

    The Shocking Truth 25 Years After Princess Diana’s Tragic Death — Brother Charles Speaks Out

  • U.S. releases 2019 memo opposing Trump obstruction charges

    U.S. releases 2019 memo opposing Trump obstruction charges

  • William Orbit: ‘Queen loves DJs as long as they end sets with National Anthem’

    William Orbit: ‘Queen loves DJs as long as they end sets with National Anthem’

  • Sir Rod Stewart takes another cheeky dig at his long-time pal Sir Elton John with stage mockery

    Sir Rod Stewart takes another cheeky dig at his long-time pal Sir Elton John with stage mockery

  • Scott Maxwell: Marco Rubio says his campaign is ‘a disaster.’ Is he crying wolf or truly scared of Demings?

    Scott Maxwell: Marco Rubio says his campaign is ‘a disaster.’ Is he crying wolf or truly scared of Demings?

Most Commented

Social

Twitter @tlrd | Facebook | Instagram @tlrd

Footer

Copyright © 2025 · Log in

×